UAE: Future diplomats begin ‘life-altering journey’ at academy in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi: More than 30 future Emiratis diplomats have joined the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA), with Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh, Cultural Advisor to the UAE President welcoming them at an orientation ceremony.

Nusseibeh, who is a member of the AGDA board of trustees, spoke to the new students who joined the academy’s Post-Graduate Diploma in UAE Diplomacy and International Relations for the 2022-2023 academic year. Over the next nine months, the students will be trained as diplomats, and will also meet with other diplomats and influential figures from around the world.

“The wise leadership of the UAE believes in the importance of investing in the UAE future diplomats, those who will help enrich the nation towards a promising future. Their work will advance the UAE’s ten principles for the next 50 years, and in particular the Tenth Principle, which calls for peace, harmony, negotiations and dialogue to resolve diplomatic disputes,” Nusseibeh told the new class.

“Diplomats are among the pillars of a sustainable society, as they play an essential role strengthening the status of their nation to allow it to advance its interests. You will thus be serving your nation by choosing to take on this exciting and rewarding journey – and I believe that you will become deserving diplomats who will proudly represent the UAE at home and abroad, all while striving to establish global peace and stability, which is a fundamental driver of our foreign policy,” he added.

‘Life-altering journey’

Nickolay Mladenov, AGDA’s director-general, said: “You have embarked on a pivotal and life-altering journey, as future diplomats. The UAE is a nation that plays an instrumental role in advancing regional and global peace and prosperity and is ranked in the top 10 most powerful countries in the world. The UAE thus demands only the best of the best, when it comes to the diplomats that represent it. The road ahead may be challenging at times, but it will be certainly worthwhile, as your success will grant you with wide-open doors to join the line-up of elite diplomats who are representing the UAE on the international stage, all while strengthening its bilateral relations and pursuing its foreign policy objectives and national interests.”

Various learnings

During their academic studies, the students will be introduced to various essential topics, including global diplomatic history, theory and practice of international relations, international law, UAE’s foreign policy, history and government, as well as economy. The students will also gain skills in research methods, negotiation, diplomatic communication, protocol, and etiquette, as well as consular diplomacy and crisis management. In addition, the students will complete a mandatory module in a third language of their choice, including Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish.

Master’s programme

AGDA also welcomed more than 35 new students that joined its Master of Arts Programme in Global Affairs and Diplomatic Leadership, which was opened to the Emirati public for the first time. The programme aims to solidify the knowledge of students on global and regional issues, particularly those relevant to the UAE, while enhancing their diplomatic leadership skills.

Next week, AGDA will welcome the second cohort of students of the Master of Arts Programme in Humanitarian Action and Development. The programme emphasises the development of practical skills and knowledge of the major theoretical trends that are shaping the delivery of humanitarian aid and development studies.

Since its inception, AGDA has provided the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation with more than 200 graduates, who are today serving the UAE on various missions locally, regionally, and across the world.