By Ebony Stith
For 2026 outbound fellows Hillary Coleman and John Krohn, traveling to Zimbabwe and Rwanda was more than an international trip. It was an opportunity to learn alongside farmers, entrepreneurs and community leaders while advancing Michigan State University’s mission to share agricultural knowledge across borders.
Despite coming from different professional backgrounds, both returned home with the same conclusion: Some of agriculture’s most valuable lessons come from sharing ideas across borders.
Since 2017, MSU has partnered with universities in Rwanda, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe to implement the Professional Fellows Program. The initiative connects emerging agricultural leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators to strengthen agribusiness, support women’s economic empowerment and build long-term partnerships between Africa and the United States.
As part of the ongoing exchange, Coleman, an urban farmer and manager of Hunter Park GardenHouse at Allen Neighborhood Center in Lansing, and Krohn, a farmland preservation specialist with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, participated in the reciprocal exchange component of the U.S. Department of State Professional Fellows Program administered by MSU.
African fellows complete professional placements with Michigan organizations before U.S. participants travel abroad to continue the exchange, often creating meaningful and long-term relationships.
Source : msu.edu