The 2018 Cornell Alliance for Science Global Leadership Fellows Program welcomed its third cohort — 27 fellows representing nine different countries — to a 12-week on-campus training program that began on Aug. 27.
The Cornell Alliance for Science seeks to promote access to scientific innovation as a means of enhancing food security, improving environmental sustainability, and raising the quality of life globally, according to its website.
The GFLP welcomed its first cohort in 2015. With 25 graduated fellows in 2015 and 28 graduated fellows in 2016, GFLP fellows represent a total of 20 countries across South and Southeast Asia, Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa, as well as the United States, according to the University.
Through core courses, independent projects and training, GFLP aims to help fellows “build comprehensive strategic communications plans promoting access to scientific innovation in their local contexts” throughout the course.
The core courses in the program includes training in strategic planning, grassroots organizing, the science of crop biotechnology and effective communications. Upon completion of the program, fellows will be able to promote “evidence-based” decisions on global sustainability and agricultural issues.
Yawande Kazeem from Nigeria, a 2018 Global Fellow of Cornell Alliance for Science as well as a Cornell Sathguru Fellow, part of the Cornell Sathguru Foundation for Development which promotes sustainable agriculture, told The Sun that her passion lies in the intersection of media and the agriculture sector.
“My passion for inquisitive questioning, creative visuals, storytelling and my vast experience in the Agriculture sector enabled me to connect media to Agriculture which created Wandieville Media,” Kazeem said via email. “[Wandieville Media is] a communication and educative media company founded to provide a positive impact on Global Development Issues through campaigns, powerful visual and captivating stories.”
She said that her future goal is to create the first “Pan African Agribusiness News show,” and she believes the Global Leadership Fellows Program can empower her to become a leader who can “critically assess, diagnose, communicate and help solve systemic and endemic challenges facing the Agricultural Biotechnology landscape in the Africa of tomorrow.”
“I believe the knowledge I would gain from exposure to real life case studies from other countries and the interaction with students, subject experts, professors and international thought leaders at Global Leadership Fellows Program will sharpen my leadership, policy, analytical and communication skills,” Kazeem said.