As part of an educational and cultural exchange programme, three delegations comprising of over 60 students and faculty members from Emirates Diplomatic Academy (EDA) successfully concluded the Academy’s fourth annual student trip today. The Asia delegation visited Seoul in South Korea and Beijing in China, while the Europe delegation toured Paris in France and Brussels in Belgium, and the America delegation visited Washington and New York in the US.
Aimed at strengthening the Academy’s ties with partner organisations in key locations, the week-long trip incorporated visits to high-profile international, government and educational institutions. In addition to visiting the ministries of foreign affairs and meeting with the UAE ambassadors to the respective countries, the delegations also toured several historical sites with the view of exchanging cultural insights with professional diplomats. Through gaining perspectives of diverse international cultures, the experience aims to enhance their understanding and make them more effective diplomats in future.
Highlights of the Asia delegation included the Korea National Diplomatic Academy and the Samsung Innovation Museum, followed by sojourns to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Great Wall of China. Meanwhile, the Europe delegation toured The Arab World Institute and the French National Assembly in Paris, as well as the headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Council in Brussels. Finally, EDA’s America delegation visited the White House and the Library of Congress in Washington, in addition to the headquarters of the UAE Mission to UN in New York, where they received briefings by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).
Highlighting the importance of the student trip, His Excellency Bernardino León, Director General of EDA, said: “A diplomat’s career is global in nature, and therefore it is vital that our students gain hands-on experience meeting their future colleagues based around the world and visiting international organisations that operate in the sphere of foreign policy.”
He added: “The tour also presented EDA with an opportunity to strengthen its relations with the various institutions the delegations visited. The Academy enjoys close ties with partner entities from across the globe and works steadfastly to enhance collaboration with leading international diplomatic institutions. The student trip is a prime example of our commitment.”
The tour was part of the fourth edition of EDA’s annual educational and cultural exchange programme. Previously, the Academy’s students and faculty visited China, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the US.
