Academic, professional, and regional experts across the world are being called upon to assist in reading and scoring the applications for the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders.

The program has received nearly 434,000 applications from 49 sub-Saharan African countries for 7,200 Fellows slots in the past nine years. For this year’s applications, your expertise and assistance in handling the high volume of applications is highly valued.

Are you an academic expert, do well to read more about the Fellowship below:

About the Fellowship:

The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is the premier program of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). It brings young African leaders to the United States for academic coursework and leadership training, fostering collaboration, economic growth, democratic governance, and peace and security between Africa and the United States. In the summer of 2025, up to 700 young leaders will participate in an intensive executive-style program aimed at building their skills and empowering them to lead in their respective fields and communities.

Eligibility:

Ideal candidates for readers include academics and professionals with expertise in one or more of the Fellowship’s thematic areas (business, civic engagement, or public management), or those with experience working in or on issues related to sub-Saharan Africa. U.S. Government employees and Fellowship Alumni are eligible to apply. However, applicants for the 2024 Mandela Washington Fellowship are not eligible to serve as readers.

Responsibilities:

Readers will be tasked with evaluating approximately 50 applications based on established guidelines and a scoring rubric. This volunteer opportunity is excellent for professional development and résumé building, offering exposure to the challenges and proposed solutions in sub-Saharan Africa and insight into key processes in international and higher education. Each application takes about 5-10 minutes to read. The reading period will start in mid-September and continue until early November 2024. Selected readers will be notified in September 2024.

Interested applicants should complete the Reader Application form by September 1, 2024. For any questions, please contact the Fellowship Team at MWFReaders@irex.org.

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the YALI Mandela Washington Fellowship Program.