As a young developing democracy, Azerbaijan faces an urgent need for strong people who can represent the country across the world. Azerbaijan has the world’s fastest growing and reforming economy, the country is booming and human capacity needs to catch up.
Today, the development of civil servants and foreign service officers is of utmost importance. Over the next five years alone, the Foreign Ministry estimates that it will need some 800 trained diplomats to staff 75 or more new embassies.
ADA’s Advanced Foreign Service Program (AFSP) helps meet that need, by providing officers with the specific training they need to meet the country’s requirements.
Entry, mid- and senior-level officers will all benefit from the program’s curriculum, which allows them to choose their fields of study in developing their particular management and diplomatic leadership skills. They also benefit from learning crucial skills needed for interagency dialogue and collaboration.
The 2007- 2008 AFSP class was composed of more than 200 students. They included entry and mid level civil servants. In 2009, AFSP class enrolled more than 75 Foreign Service Officers and civil servants.
To ensure maximum interaction and personalized attention, no class size exceeds 30 students at one time. Two-thirds of the AFSP class is composed of foreign service officers, while one-third attracts civil servants from other agencies of the Azerbaijani Government.
A careful consideration is given to gender balance in the classroom, which is one of principal criteria of ADA.
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