The Mandela Rhodes Scholarship: Purpose. Vision and Strategy
Addressing the need for leadership education in Africa
As set out in the Guiding Principles of the Mandela Rhodes Scholarships, we believe that in order to achieve its full potential, Africa needs a critical mass of leaders with exceptional intellectual capacity, but also with character, integrity and commitment.
The Mandela Rhodes Foundation bases its work on the belief that a shortage of individual human skills is a significant factor holding South Africa and Africa back from achieving the necessary levels of good governance and growth, in both the public and private sectors, to allow the continent to take its rightful place in the globalised world. Through its signature programme, The Mandela Rhodes Scholarships, it seeks to address this need.
The Purpose: Building Leadership Capacity
The goal of The Mandela Rhodes Scholarships Programme is to offer educational opportunities to young Africans with scholastic, intellectual and leadership potential to study at suitable tertiary institutions and to create a network of principled future leaders, with the capacity and will to advance themselves and their countries.
The Scholarships aim to give expression to the legacy of academic excellence, leadership, education, reconciliation and entrepreneurship.
The Vision: Leadership Development and Training
It is the vision of The Mandela Rhodes Scholarships Programme to have brought into being by 2015 a considerable network of leaders, with different educational expertise but similar leadership capacity, who support and inspire each other and who are distinguished by their ability to
- Facilitate individual and social development,
- Promote peace and reconciliation,
- Pursue fundamental human freedoms,
- Promote prosperity, honour and respect for the continent and its people.
The Strategy
To achieve this vision The Mandela Rhodes Scholarships Programme will offer full Scholarships to Scholars-elect, who will be registered at suitable universities within Africa. The Scholarships will be combined with a holistic development programme, which will be run during selected university holidays for the Scholars.
The strategy of The Scholarships Programme entails the following:
- A written set of Principles, Characteristics and outcomes for a Mandela Rhodes Scholar, which reflect the Mandela Rhodes legacy.
- Recruitment and selection systems which are transparent, ethical, efficient and effective.
- Induction and orientation systems, which conscientise and socialise Scholars-elect about the principles and other requirements of The Mandela Rhodes Scholarships.
- Short leadership-related programmes in tandem with study programmes to be run during University holidays over the period of study.
- Mentoring, coaching and support systems which foster accountability from Scholars, institutions involved, and The Mandela Rhodes Foundation Scholarships Programme. This system will be consistent with the principles underlying Mandela Rhodes Scholarship.
- Co-ordinated communication channels between and among Scholars, institutions involved and The Mandela Rhodes Scholarships Programme.
- A clear set of criteria, which reflect the suitability of institutions to admit and register Scholars-elect.
- Formative and summative evaluation initiatives to ensure alignment of all systems with Scholarships goals and philosophy.
