“We Intend To Produce Excellent Work With And About The AU”

As supervisor of the 15 African Union fellows, how do you assess the training thus far?
We started the project in February 2022 and after that everything moved ahead very fast. Personally, I am very happy with the progress made with the first cohort of the AU Media Fellowship and the 15 fellows. We have created a programme from scratch and it is also quite demanding in terms of capacity. But as it is the first time we are doing this programme, we are learning a lot from the fellows and will be able to refine the concept for future generations of AU Media Fellows. 
What was special about the training session in Addis Ababa?
The study trip to Addis Ababa was special because it was the first time the fellows got to visit the African Union and could experience the institution from the inside. The fellows were welcomed by the AU leadership and received intro into almost all departments, allowing them to draw on to the knowledge gained. It was a great experience that will surely help the fellows whenever they need a specific contact to the AU because now they can understand how the AU works. And likewise, you could see there was a lot of attention from AU experts but also the diplomatic community in Addis who were all trying to get a session with the fellows. It shows that media is important and we can build bridges with this programme. 
At this level, how do you judge the responsiveness of the learners?
The 15 fellows come from very different backgrounds and interests, so it is always a challenge to find topics that work for everyone. I think, we are also learning how to work together as a group and the fellows identify with the fellowship and their new colleagues. The study trips were quite intense and we will keep the pace up because this fellowship is aimed at excellence and we know the fellows are all excellent in their respective fields. 
The candidates submitted several professional work topics. They defended them in special working sessions before mentors and coaches. What will happen next?
The fellowship as you know is a capacity building programme. The aim is to up skill the 15 fellows and enable them to prosper in their career. But also to be able to produce excellent work with and about the AU. As mentioned earlier, each fellow brings very unique ideas. As organis...