Abu Dhabi, UAE: The Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA), a globally leading diplomatic centre of excellence in the UAE, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Finn Church Aid (FCA), Finland’s largest international aid organization, to establish the basis for mutual collaboration. The signing ceremony took place during the AGDA leadership’s week-long visit to Finland at FCA’s invitation.

The MoU was signed by His Excellency Nickolay Mladenov, Director General of AGDA and Dr. Ikali Karvinen, FCA’s Deputy Executive Director, in the presence of Her Excellency Amna Mahmoud Fikri, Ambassador of the UAE to the Republic of Finland and a number of senior officials from both side. It will allow both parties to exchange knowledge and expertise in critical areas such as development policy, peacebuilding, and sustainable development.

On this occasion, His Excellency Nickolay Mladenov, DG of AGDA, said: “At AGDA, our mission is to equip our students with unparalleled knowledge and skills, grooming them for leadership roles in diplomacy. Partnerships, such as this MoU with Finn Church Aid, are essential to enriching our academic environment with global expertise and fostering international research collaboration. Finn Church Aid’s renowned work with the world’s most vulnerable populations in fragile regions is invaluable. Their insights will profoundly enhance our training, empowering our future diplomats to adeptly navigate and address the pressing global challenges of our time.”

Meanwhile, FCA Deputy Executive Director, Dr. Ikali Karvinen, said that the role of diplomats is increasingly challenging, requiring global knowledge and skills and a deep local contextual understanding, adding, “States and their diplomats will continue to play a key role in supporting sustainable development. FCA is excited about the opportunity to work together with AGDA, a leading diplomatic academy. We commend AGDA’s efforts to train diplomats on solving pressing development challenges in the most fragile contexts of the world.”

The Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy offers unique programmes, including the Master of Arts Programme in Humanitarian Action and Development (MAHAD), which unlocks compelling career opportunities by preparing graduates for impactful roles within international organizations, NGOs, and governmental agencies, thereby contributing to tackling global humanitarian challenges.

-Ends-

About the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA):

The Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA) is a globally recognised diplomatic centre of excellence in Abu Dhabi, UAE. It delivers accredited academic programmes and high-impact executive training to develop future diplomats, as well as the government and business leaders of tomorrow. AGDA brings together an intellectual community from the world of diplomacy, academia and research. As a respected and evolving regional think tank, AGDA produces research that advances knowledge and capabilities relevant to the UAE’s foreign policy objectives. The Academy is a producer of leading resources, including indices and publications. Learn more at: http://agda.ac.ae/

For media enquiries, please reach out to:
Abedalaziz Almegdadi
Abedalaziz.Almegdadi@viola.ae

Imam Asalie
imam.asalie@viola.ae