Abdullah bin Zayed attends graduation of AGDA 'Shapers of Tomorrow' cohort

H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Chairman of the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy's (AGDA) Board of Trustees, attended the graduation ceremony of the 'Shapers of Tomorrow' cohort of the Academy’s students for the 2024–2025 academic year.

The ceremony was held at the AGDA headquarters in Abu Dhabi, marking ten years since the graduation of the Academy’s first cohorts.

The ceremony was attended by Dr. Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President, and Deputy Chairman of the Board of Trustees; Zaki Nusseibeh, Cultural Adviser to the UAE President; Reem bint Ebrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation; Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign Trade; Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, Minister of State; Saeed bin Mubarak Al Hajeri, Minister of State; Nadhim Zahawi, former UK's Secretary of State for Education; Nasser Judeh, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan; Badr Jafar, Special Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Business and Philanthropy, and CEO of Crescent Enterprises; Rima Al Mokarrab, Executive Director of Strategic Affairs at the Executive Affairs Authority; Yasser Hareb, Media Producer, Presenter, and Author; and youth representative Majid Bin Zawbaa, Group Vice President - Strategic Accounts at ABB.

Also present were Nickolay Mladenov, Director-General of the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy; Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim Al Dhaheri, Deputy Director-General of the Academy; members of the academic and administrative staff; and the families of the graduates.

The ceremony marked the graduation of 71 students from the Academy’s various programmes, including the first cohort of the Master of Arts in International Law, Human Rights and Diplomatic Relations, the fourth cohort of the Master of Arts in Humanitarian and Development Affairs, the seventh cohort of the Master of Arts in International Affairs and Diplomatic Leadership, and the tenth cohort of the Postgraduate Diploma in Emirati Diplomacy and International Relations.

H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan congratulated the graduates, expressing his confidence in their ability to further enhance the UAE’s distinguished reputation regionally and internationally, and to contribute to building bridges of cooperation and partnership with brotherly and friendly countries in a manner that supports development and prosperity for all.

In his address to the graduates, AGDA Director-General Nickolay Mladenov said that over the past decade, the Academy has developed its programmes, expanded partnerships and prepared a generation of diplomats capable of understanding global transformations and strengthening the UAE’s international standing.

He then congratulated the graduates, praising their learning journey by noting how they had gained far more than academic knowledge, developing the ability to analyse change, understand complex global dynamics and engage in professional dialogue that fosters genuine understanding in a rapidly evolving world.

For his part, Deputy Director-General of AGDA Mohammed Ibrahim Al Dhaheri said graduation marks the start of a new phase that requires continuous learning and close engagement with the fast-changing international landscape. He expressed confidence that graduates are well prepared to pursue demanding professional paths, stressing that the strength of Emirati diplomacy lies in wisdom, balance, partnership-building and the ability to adapt through lifelong learning.

The ceremony also witnessed the graduation of 21 participants from the fifth cohort of the Future Leaders in Foreign Policy programme, which aims to prepare national leaders with a precise understanding of the political, economic and social challenges facing contemporary foreign policy, and to enhance analytical, negotiation and decision-making skills among professionals working in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, government entities, the private sector and the media.