The Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA), the UAE’s leading diplomatic centre, launched the first Summer Academy Programme in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC) to provide a platform to enrich the knowledge and skills of serving UAE diplomats.
AGDA welcomed on its campus a group of Emirati diplomats that joined the programme. The courses were exclusively designed for UAE diplomats, the majority of whom are not graduates of the Academy. The participants took part in stimulating in-house sessions taught by AGDA’s renowned faculty members, as well as leading experts working in the field of 21st century diplomacy.
The extensive programme covered an overview of Expo 2020 Dubai opening plans, which was delivered by the Expo 2020 Dubai team; science and technology diplomacy, which was delivered by speakers from the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology; as well as other topics, including speech-writing and public-speaking skills; environmental diplomacy and the road to COP26; China and the Middle East; international law; and global geopolitics before, during, and post-COVID-19.
His Excellency Khaled Abdullah Belhoul, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC) said: “MoFAIC is committed to ensuring that the diplomats of the UAE have the necessary knowledge and skills to lead this nation and elevate its status on the global stage. Throughout the years, our essential partnership with AGDA has provided us with talented world-class diplomats, who hold extensive knowledge and practical experiences in various fields of diplomacy and international relations.”
His Excellency Belhoul added “The role and duty of each Emirati diplomat has become highly-regarded and more crucial than ever before. Today, we have an elite team of powerful and influential Emiratis in various international missions and forums, and we are keen to have our diplomats continue their great efforts in helping achieve the directions of our wise leadership – which focuses on building bridges of cooperation between nations – according to the UAE’s vision of tolerance, cooperation, and dialogue.”
Addressing the UAE diplomats, His Excellency Bernardino León, Director General of AGDA, said: “As diplomats and representatives of this visionary nation, you already understand that an agile approach in governance, and especially in diplomacy, is key to being successful in the 21st century.”
“Today, a diplomat’s skills of managing international relations differ extensively from what they used to be in the past. The accelerating development of geopolitics and the unforeseen pandemic have contributed to a rapid change of traditional diplomatic methods and ways of communication. Now, more than ever, with the tremendous challenges taking place around the world, we require enhanced diplomatic skills that will help the UAE continue its leading role globally.”
“Our Academy will continue to be the driving force of international strategic initiatives that seek to strengthen the UAE’s global status and enhance its diplomatic presence on the world stage. The recent election of the UAE as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council is a great example of the pivotal global presence that the UAE has,” he concluded.
During the week-long Summer Academy programme, diplomats were taken through theoretical and practical based sessions in the fields of diplomacy and international relations, which included discussing current American foreign policy towards the Middle East and Africa, as well as economic diplomacy in the post-COVID-19 world. Diplomats also participated in an interactive session on international negotiations.
