Emirates Diplomatic Academy Concludes Cultural Attaché Executive Training Programme in Cooperation with Ministry of Education

Two-week course prepared selected candidates to be cultural attachés, diplomats capable of promoting their nation’s culture around the world

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 29 May, 2017 – Emirates Diplomatic Academy (EDA), the UAE’s leading international relations and diplomacy, education, executive training and research institution, has graduated a new cohort of cultural attachés.

The two-week programme enabled students to improve in a range of skills and competencies – including negotiation, intercultural awareness and strategic thinking – and to explore various topics related to diplomatic protocol and etiquette, as well as the UAE’s foreign policy. Courses utilised an active learning environment that involved intensive teamwork and class interaction, and incorporated lectures, class discussion, presentations, videos, and problem-based learning.

EDA President Bernardino Leon congratulated the participants who have learned impactful skills with immediate real-world applications: “We are very proud of our graduates from the Cultural Attaché programme. EDA’s Executive Training Department is focused on offering training to develop diplomatic capabilities of professionals. To meet this goal, we have created programmes that offer training in skills that diplomats use regularly in the field, and the Cultural Attaché programme is a great example of how the Academy supports the UAE’s diverse foreign policy objectives.”

Mariam Al Mahmoud, Director of Executive Training and Student Affairs added, “Our aim with EDA’s executive training courses is to support diplomatic professionals and to make sure they have the necessary training to best represent their country abroad. The wide-range of topics in the Cultural Attaché programme ensures that they are comprehensively prepared to serve as diplomats around the world.”

EDA offers a wide range of executive training programmes for established foreign policy professionals that cover topics from economic diplomacy and political analysis, to international law and consensus-building. The executive training programmes represent an integral component of EDA’s specialised areas of focus that also include academic programmes for future diplomats, and research and analysis.