Young African leaders to attend six-week public management institute at UMaine
Twenty-five emerging leaders from Sub-Saharan Africa will spend six weeks attending an institute in public management at the University of Maine, one of 37 institutions nationwide selected for this year’s Mandela Washington Fellowship program.
During their stay in Maine, June 17–July 31, the men and women will attend executive-style academic sessions led by UMaine faculty, meet with Maine leaders in Portland and Augusta, and participate in community and recreational activities in the state, including a weekend home-stay with area host families.
Members of the public are invited to weekly culture exchange events on June 28, July 5, July 12, July 19 and July 25. Details about the events will be online.
“It is a distinct honor to be one of the 37 U.S. universities selected to host the Mandela Fellows, future leaders of African nations,” said Carol Kim, UMaine vice president for research and dean of the Graduate School. “This is a wonderful opportunity for faculty and students to interact with representatives from 17 African nations, to learn more about their countries and cultures, to share U.S. culture and perspectives, and to get to know the fellows as colleagues and friends.”
The Mandela Washington Fellowship, the flagship program of President Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), empowers young African leaders through academic coursework, leadership training, mentoring, networking, professional opportunities and support for activities in their communities. Fellows are young leaders who have established records of accomplishment in promoting innovation and positive change in their organizations, institutions, communities and countries.
The 25 Mandela Fellows at UMaine are from Angola, Cameroon, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, United Republic of Tanzania, Togo, Uganda and Zambia. They are among 1,000 young African leaders ages 25 to 35 who were selected from more than 43,000 applications. The fellows are being hosted at institutions across the United States this summer, studying in institutes focused on business and entrepreneurship, civic leadership, public management or energy. In addition, fellows will participate in community programming that offers insights into American culture.
The fellows coming to Maine are experts in their fields, working in areas that include natural resources and wildlife management, environmental engineering, agriculture, education, energy and international development.
In UMaine’s Public Management Institute, the participants will learn about regional economic and workforce development, financial management in public and nonprofit organizations, environmental policy management, and the global knowledge economy. Among the academic themes: climate change and public management, the economics and management of solar energy technologies, and river to coast management of water resources.
Field trips for the participants include Augusta visits to the Maine Public Utilities Commission, Blaine House and State House; and Portland visits to the Maine Turnpike Authority, Maine International Trade Center and a Portland Sea Dogs baseball game. They also will visit Bailey Island and Acadia National Park.
In addition to UMaine, 11 other universities are hosting 2016 Public Management Institutes for Mandela Fellows, including Arizona State University, Syracuse University, Ohio State and University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Carol Kim is co-leading the institute with Jonathan Rubin, professor of economics with the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center, and Daniel Dixon, sustainability director.
Following their six-week academic and leadership institutes, the Mandela Fellows will meet in Washington, D.C. for a Presidential Summit. Additionally, some will spend another six weeks in professional development training with U.S. nongovernmental organizations, private companies and government agencies. Upon their return home, fellows receive ongoing professional development opportunities, including mentoring, networking and training, and seed funding to support their ideas, businesses and organizations, according to the Mandela Washington Fellowship website.
More information about the Mandela Washington Fellowship is online.
Contact: Margaret Nagle, 207.581.3745