Earlier this year, the Mandela Washington Fellowship was postponed until summer 2021 due to the ongoing global pandemic; however, “despite this unprecedented crisis and the Fellowship being on hold, America’s support for emerging leaders remains strong,” says Jim Risch, U.S. Senator for Idaho, and Chris Coons, U.S. Senator for Delaware.

The U.S. Department of State and IREX are excited to announce the launch of the new online Fellowship Portal.  The Fellowship Portal will provide a unique opportunity to bring the Fellowship’s nearly 4,400 Alumni, selected finalist and alternate candidates for the 2021 Fellowship, Reciprocal Exchange Awardees, and selected Fellowship Partners together to virtually explore strategies for leading in times of crisis and shifting paradigms.

The Portal’s content draws on the expertise of a broad range of Fellowship stakeholders and will be delivered through short, virtual courses accessible by phone, tablet, or desktop.  New content will be released every two weeks through the end of the calendar year.

Additionally, Alumni and selected candidates will be able to use the Portal’s interactive features to engage across countries, tracks of study, and cohorts to:

• share relevant resources, skills, and opportunities;  
• debate ideas, pose questions, and solicit feedback; 
• identify and engage experts in your field; and
• collaborate on topics of mutual interest.

We encourage Alumni and selected candidates to take advantage of this opportunity to increase their knowledge, develop their leadership skills, and broaden their networks. To inquire about the Fellowship Portal, Alumni and selected candidates may email the Fellowship Team at mwfellowship@irex.org.