The University of Iowa’s John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center has partnered with the Iowa Institute for International Business to bring 24 fellows from 21 sub-Saharan African countries to campus. The program partnership is in its eighth consecutive year.
The fellows arrived on June 19, and will participate in the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders: the flagship program of the U.S. government’s Young African Leaders Initiative.
Ranging from 25-35 years old, the fellows are accomplished innovators and leaders in their countries and will stay on campus for six weeks, according to a press release from the UI Institute for International Business.
As stated in the release, the fellows will perform 12 hours of community service during their stay, working at local nonprofits like Table to Table, Central Furniture Rescue, Trees Forever, and Systems Unlimited. They will also participate in cultural site tours around Iowa City and Cedar Rapids, visit a farm in Kalona, and the African American Museum of Iowa in Cedar Rapids.
The fellows’ leadership training will touch on themes such as leadership, building a network, entrepreneurship in Iowa, and managing business growth and change.
