The Peace Corps announced today (Feb. 26) that UC Davis ranks No. 23 among large universities on its 2020 list of top volunteer-producing colleges and universities. Currently, 42 campus alumni are serving as Peace Corps volunteers in countries around the world. Since the Peace Corps’ founding in 1961, over 1,550 UC Davis alumni have served as Peace Corps volunteers.

UC Davis Mandela Washington Fellow Winfred Mwende Mutinda (2019, Kenya) shares her experience as part of the six-week program at UC Davis, and how her participation shapes her mission to inspire and lead young people to transform the continent of Africa.

During the 2019 International Education Week at UC Davis, Global Affairs featured short films by UC Davis students describing their study, research, and service experiences from 10 countries around the world. From studying GIS in Bhutan, to protecting sea turtle eggs in Taiwan, to treating elephants in Thailand, and studying fashion design in France, students shared from their wide array of experiences and provide a vision for what is possible for other students at UC Davis.

UC Davis Mandela Washington Fellow Adaku Ufere (2018-19, Nigeria) shares how her Mandela Washington Fellowship experience changed her world perspective and influenced her decision to become an agent of change for gender equity in Africa's energy sector.

Global Affairs Student Assistant Joyce Zamorano Sanchez reflects on her summer working with the UC Davis Mandela Washington Fellowship.

Laura Van Auker, an assistant clinical professor in the UC Davis Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, has built global partnerships with nursing schools and health organizations around the world, most recently as a Global Affairs Faculty Ambassador.

In preparation for the 2019 Mandela Washington Fellowship Summit, the UC Davis Mandela Fellows shared about the work they are doing or plan to do in their home countries, and their thoughts on an issue of importance to them. Their presentations center around the theme: “Inspiring Innovation and Growth through Leadership.”

On June 19, UC Davis Global Affairs welcomed 24 young professionals from Sub-Saharan Africa as part of its fourth Mandela Washington Fellowship, the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative.

Dana Armstrong, an international agricultural development graduate student, and Peter Nasielski, a design and sustainable environmental design undergraduate student, met 2017-18 UC Davis Humphrey Fellow Martin Kailie, a farmer, social entrepreneur, and founder and CEO of Green Africa Inc., at UC Davis before teaming up on a research project in Kailie's home country of Sierra Leone.

Global academic projects and internships, study abroad, and international research do more than help you to reach your academic goals. They also broaden your horizons through exposure to hands-on experiences and new cultures in diverse settings. At UC Davis, students are gaining skills and partnering with collaborators in all corners of the world.