Alumni say that finding a family of leaders to belong to is one of the best parts of being a Mandela Rhodes Scholar. Imagine being part of a community of people who get it. Who are as passionate about driving positive change as you are. Who are incredibly diverse but have something in common: they are outstanding leaders in their fields, and they share a commitment to being part of Nelson Mandela’s legacy of leadership on the continent. When you graduate from our programme, you gain access to a community of hundreds of alumni playing influential roles across the continent. And you become part of a network of people who understand the challenges and rewards of leadership, and are there to walk the journey with you.
Our alumni platforms are all about expanding impact through connection. We offer this digitally, at physical gatherings, and through the sharing of ideas, networks, and expertise to enhance our impact individually, nationally, and in regions.
Mandela Rhodes Alumni have access to MandelaRhodesConnect, a secure digital platform just for our community. The platform enables you to connect to our powerful network and ask for or offer help. This help could be collaboration on a project, mentoring, or access to an organisation or industry. MandelaRhodesConnect offers you a way to expand your network within our community and increase your impact through relationships with other alumni. It’s also a space for sharing perspectives on current affairs, and finding people who enjoy the same things as you.
We offer alumni a public platform through our Young African channels and our annual symposium. We aim to amplify the voices of our alumni and provide a platform for broader society to engage with Mandela Rhodes thought leadership. Young African takes the form of an annual print magazine, an online platform on our website, and a quarterly digital digest, all available to the public. The annual symposium provides a forum for critical conversation and collaboration on how to address some of our most intractable challenges and opportunities on the continent.
The Shaun Johnson Memorial Scholarship is available exclusively to alumni of the Mandela Rhodes Scholarship. The scholarship is for PhD study in the United Kingdom, and is offered in partnership with the Leverhulme Trust. There are currently two Shaun Johnson Memorial Scholarships per year, making this a highly competitive opportunity. Learn more here.
Mandela Rhodes Alumni will also get opportunities to connect to other regional and global alumni networks and social change initiatives. These spaces seek connection and the exchange of ideas and leadership from Africa that can contribute to a global shift towards collective systemic transformation.
There are many ways to support the MRF.
