About

Drake University annually hosts a cohort of fellows for the Leadership in Business Institute, funded by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA).

Drake has been an Institute Partner since 2016, hosting a total of 150 Fellows representing 36 Sub-Saharan African nations. Fellows in the Leadership in Business Institute at Drake will:

• connect with the campus community through sessions that draw on academic and administrative expertise across Drake's seven colleges and schools; 
• give back to the Des Moines community in partnership with local volunteers through service activities;
• network and collaborate with business leaders across multiple sectors.

Administration for the Drake Institute is led by the Office of Global Engagement, in partnership with faculty leaders in the Zimpleman College of Business.

Looking Ahead to 2023

Drake University is proud to announce its selection as an Institute Partner for the 2023 Mandela Washington Fellowship. Beginning in mid-June, Drake will host twenty-five of Africa's bright, emerging business leaders for a six-week program on our campus. The cohort of Fellows hosted by Drake will be part of a group of 700 Mandela Washington Fellows hosted at twenty-eight educational institutions across the United States. Learn More >>

The Drake Institute team continues to refine our programming based on seven years of successfully hosting this prestigious program, with an eye to innovation. The Fellowship is a flagship global engagement program for the university that allows individuals across campus and in the local community to strengthen their intercultural competence and their knowledge of the diverse African cultures and nations represented by the Fellows. 

For more information about the Mandela Washington Fellowship at Drake, or to get involved with the 2023 program, contact Hannah Sappenfield at hannah.sappenfield@drake.edu.