President Linda LeMura Participates in Mandela Fellowship Panel at Syracuse University

The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is the flagship program of the U.S. Government’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). Syracuse University is among 26 U.S. educational institutions in 21 states that are hosting the 2025 Mandela Washington Fellowship Leadership Institutes for approximately 650 competitively selected young African leaders.

On Tuesday, July 22, President Linda LeMura participated in a panel with Mandela Washington Fellows who are taking part in the program through Syracuse University. Panelists addressed several areas, including workforce development, regional challenges and collaborations/partnerships. In addition to President LeMura, panelists were OCC President Warren Hilton, Ed.D. and Rev. Brian Konkol, vice president and dean of Hendricks Chapel at SU. Shown in photo above, from left, are: Candace Campbell-Johnson, vice chancellor and chief of staff at SU, who moderated the panel, LeMura, Hilton and Konkol.

Established in 2014, the Fellowship has brought nearly 7,200 young leaders from every country in Sub-Saharan Africa to the United States for academic and leadership training. The six-week institutes support the development of fellows’ leadership skills through academic study, workshops, mentoring, networking with U.S. leaders, and collaboration with members of the local community.