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Twenty-five young African leaders will leverage the world leadership of the University of California, Davis, in zero-net energy and its global experience to tackle energy challenges in their countries.

They will come to ΢����Ƶ for the first and only energy-themed institute offered through the , the flagship of President Obama’s .

The State Department and IREX, the international nonprofit that administers the fellowship program, today (Feb. 9) announced the 36 universities that will host six-week summer programs — also in business and entrepreneurship, civic leadership and public management — for about 1,000 fellows.

΢����Ƶ Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi said one of the 21st century’s biggest challenges is transitioning to a sustainable energy future, and ΢����Ƶ is leading with research, education and outreach in energy sciences, technology, management and policy to develop solutions.

“The fellows are future leaders in Africa,” she added, “and ΢����Ƶ is partnering with them to make a difference in our communities, our countries and our world.”

Selected from countries in sub-Saharan Africa through a competition, the fellows are 25- to 35-year-olds who already have a record of leadership and accomplishments.

“I am also very proud of the University of California, Davis, for the global leadership it is showing by hosting this unique and important institute for the Mandela program.” — Congressman John Garamendi

U.S. Rep. John Garamendi was a Peace Corps volunteer in Ethiopia and has led two peace mission teams to Africa. “I congratulate these young leaders from Africa for their participation in the Mandela Washington Fellowship Program, as well as their dedication to improving the energy future of their countries and the world,” he said. “I am also very proud of the University of California, Davis, for the global leadership it is showing by hosting this unique and important institute for the Mandela program.”

A living lab for energy efficiency

At the Specialized Institute on Energy: Pathways to Zero-Net Energy, fellows will experience a living lab for energy efficiency. Ranked third in the world for sustainability by the GreenMetric World University Ranking, the campus is home to , the nation’s largest planned zero-net energy community; the , showcasing technologies that enable zero-net energy living; and the largest solar power plant at an American university.

΢����Ƶ also features an acclaimed bicycling infrastructure, one of the world’s most , and an anaerobic digester that converts campus and community food and yard waste into clean energy.

Expertise from campus and beyond

Serving as academic director of the ΢����Ƶ institute will be Professor of the Department of Land Air and Water Resources at ΢����Ƶ. She has worked for a number of years on projects in sub-Saharan Africa. She is director of Russell Ranch of the Agriculture Sustainability Institute at ΢����Ƶ and chairs the campus’s graduate group in international agricultural development. Jennie Konsella-Norene, international funding analyst in Global Affairs at ΢����Ƶ, is the institute’s administrative director.

Institute seminars and lectures will draw on the expertise of faculty from a broad range of disciplines and some dozen ΢����Ƶ institutes and research centers — including the , which accelerates the development and commercialization of energy efficiency technologies, and the , the world’s leading university center on sustainable transportation.

Field trips and guest lectures will expose the fellows to key energy organizations and leaders in the generation and use of renewable energy.

In hands-on service and learning, the fellows will help install solar energy systems for lower-income families, clean up a local watershed, perform campus energy audits, and work on a community garden.

Making a difference around the world

΢����Ƶ has a proud history of advancing the knowledge, skills and connections of people to make a difference around the world. Since 1986, ΢����Ƶ has hosted more than 200 Hubert H. Humphrey Fellows in agriculture, rural community development, environmental sciences and climate change.

Among many other international programs, it has also hosted the International Seminar on Climate Change and Natural Resource Management; and the U.S.-Denmark Summer Workshop on Renewable Energy.

΢����Ƶ is already active in Africa through study abroad, research and other programs, including the and other projects funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Horticulture Innovation Lab at ΢����Ƶ.

‘Brilliant, energetic and fearless’

The fellows are 25- to 35-year-olds who have promoted innovation and accomplished positive change in their organizations, institutions, communities and countries. They have made a commitment to return to Africa and apply their leadership skills and training to benefit their community or country.

Joanna Regulska, vice provost and associate chancellor for Global Affairs at ΢����Ƶ, oversaw 2013 and 2014 Mandela fellowship programs as vice president of international and global affairs at Rutgers University

“Fellows are brilliant, energetic and fearless,” Regulska said. “We are privileged to be able to share our learning and discovery and forge relationships with them now that will benefit our campus, the state and our world.”

The fellows will be selected this spring, and the institute will be held in June and July.