"Foreign Policy Program" for young diplomats has been completed

On June 5, the closing ceremony of the "Foreign Policy Program" for young diplomats organized within the framework of the joint partnership of the Institute of Development and Diplomacy ("IDD") with Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry, operating under ADA University, was held, Azernews reports.

At the closing ceremony of the program, which lasted from October 2022 to May of this year and was attended by 38 young diplomats, the rector of ADA University, Ambassador Hafiz Pashayev, the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and the vice-rector of ADA University, as well as the director of the Institute of Development and Diplomacy Fariz Ismayilzade delivered a welcome speech.

Adviser to the vice-rector of ADA University and deputy director of the Institute of Development and Diplomacy Aygun Hajiyeva as well as the head of the Personnel Department of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Raman Mammadov spoke about the results of the program.

In his welcoming speech, Vice-Rector Fariz Ismayilzade pointed out that on today's Graduation Day, young diplomats were given the opportunity to communicate with Rector Hafiz Pashayev and the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and benefit from their experiences. Emphasizing that cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been successfully continued within the framework of various projects, Vice-Rector Ismayilzade said that these programs serve to develop the professional skills of diplomats.

Congratulating the participants of the program, Rector Hafiz Pashayev advised them to constantly learn, especially to acquire deep knowledge about Azerbaijani history, in order to responsibly serve the interests of Azerbaijan. Recalling the task given by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev when he founded the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy in 2006, the Rector pointed out that the "Foreign Policy Program" arose from that task.

Speaking at the event, Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said that the program is a successful initiative.

"38 diplomats were included in this program. Those selected for the program not only passed the test system, they also participated in other stages - interviews and submitted their essays," the minister noted. Minister Bayramov stressed that he believes that diplomats will successfully defend the interests of Azerbaijan abroad.

Aygun Hajiyeva presented the results of the "Foreign Policy Program" held on the 17th of this year. The deputy director of "IDD" said that discussions, simulations, and interactive sessions were held in a round table format by a total of 81 professional speakers on 48 topics within the program. Among those speakers were members of the professor-teacher staff of ADA University, experienced employees of state institutions, local and foreign partner research centers, and especially heads of departments of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Raman Mammadov, Head of the Foreign Ministry, said in his speech that the management team was closely involved in structuring the content of the program. He added that the theoretical and practical elements of the program were developed taking into account the skills of young diplomats, and its curriculum was further developed as a result of regular discussions.

Later, Nigar Eyvazzade, an employee of the Press Service Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and also a graduate of ADA University, shared his impressions about his participation and said that the mentioned program not only gave them new knowledge but also strengthened their cooperation with colleagues working in different departments.

Ramil Abdullayev, a young diplomat representing the Department of Economic Cooperation, expressed his confidence that the knowledge and experience he gained within the program will have an invaluable impact on his work.

Then a video about the activities of the "Foreign Policy Program" was shown.

In the end, certificates were presented to the participants and a commemorative photo was taken.

We should note that the training for young diplomats within the framework of the "Foreign Policy Program" covered the history of diplomacy, domestic and foreign policy of Azerbaijan, as well as topics such as "Electronic Government" digital transformation, and migration policy. its central role in the transportation network, the "Great Return" program, and the military-political aspects of national security were also discussed.

In order to improve the professional skills of the diplomats, they were also given practical training on establishing business relations, self-presentation, emotional intelligence, body language, diplomatic protocol, effective writing, and other important topics.

Within the framework of the program, visits to the cities of Shusha, Agdam, and Nakhchivan, as well as visits to Baku port, and Milli Majlis "ASAN service" centers, increased the knowledge of the participants and made them more familiar with the administrative processes in those institutions.