IE University Announces Gurus and Griots Fellowship for African and Afro-descendent Leaders

Applications are now open for IE University’s premier Gurus and Griots fellowship program, a selective, cohort-based fellowship hosted by the IE Africa Center that puts African and Afro-descendent leaders front and center as educators and representatives of IE University.

The yearlong program – which aims to attract African and Afro-descendent leaders in business, policy, and academia – will address global challenges and help develop and showcase the unique perspectives of the fellows, incorporating their work into the IE University ecosystem. The group of fellows will be divided into practitioners – the gurus with influential ideas or business theories – and academic innovators – the griots who focus on scholarly research and take their name from Africa’s storytellers, poets, and musicians, who known to carry a wealth of tradition.

Individuals can apply online here through February 21, 2021. A selection committee will choose six fellows based on academic, professional, and personal credentials, as well as, in some cases, IE’s anticipated faculty needs. The program will run from March 2021-December 2021.

"At the IE Africa Center, where we consider Africa both a continent and a people, our mission is to shine a light on African solutions to global challenges."

As Gurus and Griots actively weaves African and diasporic perspectives into course materials and initiatives across the institution, fellows will serve as high-profile representatives of the university, developing academic content, and receive priority consideration for positions as adjunct professors in IE University’s degree-granting and executive education programs. Additionally, Each cohort will form an advisory panel who will be influential in reimagining ways of learning and thinking about business and public affairs through an African and Afro-diasporic lens.

“At the IE Africa Center, where we consider Africa both a continent and a people, our mission is to shine a light on African solutions to global challenges. With the launch of Gurus and Griots, we are inviting African and Afro-descendent leaders to share their experience and expertise with a worldwide community of learners, dreamers, and doers.”  Felicia Appenteng, Chair, IE Africa Center.

“We are a global university that values not only equity but also practicality. Weaving the insights and accomplishments of African and Afro-descendant experts and academics into the heart of tour educational experience is not only our responsibility as educators but an opportunity to advance a new model of learning,” said IE University President Santiago Iñiguez.