The University of Iowa and Drake University are each hosting a cohort of young leaders from sub-Saharan African countries participating in the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, the flagship program of the Young African Leadership Initiative. The fellowship, which is a program of the U.S. Department of State, empowers the young leaders through academic coursework, leadership training, mentoring, networking, professional opportunities and support for activities in their communities, according to a news release. At the University of Iowa, fellows will participate in a six-week Leadership in Business course, experience entrepreneurial education programs offered by the university’s John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center and Institute for International Business, and tour businesses. Fellows in the Drake cohort are set to meet with local businesses, nonprofits and government organizations, engage in service opportunities in the Drake neighborhood, and visit Manning to learn about best practices in sustainable rural economies. The two cohorts are also scheduled to meet in Des Moines on July 5 with John Pappajohn. Both universities have been institute partners with the fellowship for multiple years, and are now hosting the fellows in person for the first time since the pandemic began.