U.S. State Department Professional Fellows Program 2023 for Rwanda, SA, Zambia and Zimbabwe
Applications are now open for the United States Department of State Professional Fellows Program 2023 for Rwandan, South African, Zambian and Zimbabwean Fellows.
The Advancing Young Women Professional Fellows Program is sponsored by the US Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
It is administered by Michigan State University (US), University of Rwanda (Rwanda), University of Pretoria (South Africa), University of Zambia (Zambia) and Chinhoyi University of Technology (Zimbabwe).
The goal of the program is to build Fellows’ capacity and skills in agro-entrepreneurship and agri-food system innovation and advance their ability to support women’s economic empowerment.
Rwandan, South African, Zambian and Zimbabwean Fellows will develop their leadership capacity and professional skills through a fully funded five-week fellowship program in the U.S.
The US program will include a four-week professional internship with Michigan organizations focused on agriculture, innovation, agro-entrepreneurship, and women’s empowerment and additional seminars and training with professionals from Michigan State University and throughout the state of Michigan.
The Fellowship program will culminate with a three-day Congress in Washington, DC.
The Congress will allow participants the opportunity to meet and share their experience with Fellows from around the world and participate in dialogue to examine the roles of individual and institutional leadership in economic development and women’s economic empowerment.
They are recruiting young Rwandan, South African, Zambian and Zimbabwean professionals from diverse backgrounds in the private, public, non-governmental, and education sectors who are either women agribusiness entrepreneurs or individuals working to increase women’s economic engagement in the agricultural sector.
The initial application for the program will remain open until February 24, 2023.
Interviews for selected finalists will take place in April, 2023.
Tentative Fall 2023 program dates: September 1 – October 7, 2023.
Tentative Spring 2024 program dates: May 3 – June 7, 2024.
Who Should Apply
- Women entrepreneurs, social innovators, or small and medium business owners or managers and other leaders working in the agriculture and food sectors
- Individuals (of any gender) in civil society and NGOs working on programs that support women in the agriculture and food sectors in their respective countries
- Policymakers, ministry employees, and others in the public sector (of any gender) focused on supporting and improving opportunities for women in the agriculture or food sector
- Academic staff (of any gender) who are implementing programs that advance women in the agriculture and food sectors
Eligibility Requirements
- 25-40 years old
- A citizen, national, or permanent resident of Rwanda, South Africa, Zambia, or Zimbabwe
- Is living and working in Rwanda, South Africa, Zambia, or Zimbabwe at the time of the application
- Fluent in both spoken and written English
- Has at least two years of professional/working experience in their field
- Has demonstrated leadership and collaborative skills and a commitment to community development
- Has employer’s support for participating in the program (for those not self-employed). For those self-employed, has recommendation from local authorities at the district and/or community levels
- Is interested in participating in a reciprocal program for American participants coming to your country
- Preference will be given to those who are in an earlier state of their careers
- Preference will be given to applicants who have not previously had the opportunity to travel to the US
- Finalists must be fully vaccinated in accordance with current CDC guidelines, in order to travel to the United States.
For more information, please contact:
Rwanda: Dr. Alfred Bizoza, Associate Professor, Agricultural Economics, University of Rwanda, [email protected]
South Africa: Prof. Anastacia Mamabolo, Associate Professor, Gordon Institute of Business Science, University of Pretoria, [email protected]
Zambia: Dr. Thandie Hamaimbo, Assistant Dean (Undergraduate Programmes) and Lecturer School of Agricultural Sciences, University of Zambia, [email protected]
Zimbabwe: Dr. Robert Musundire, Acting Director of Research and Postgraduate Studies Chinhoyi University of Technology, [email protected]
U.S.: Mr. Derek Tobias, Program Manager, Alliance for African Partnership, Michigan State University, [email protected]
Apply and view the original call using the relevant buttons below.
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