EPRC and IliaUni Transform the Stanford Leadership Program into the Lecture Series for the Georgian MPA Students
In April, 2016 the EWMI ACCESS grantee and partner for many years– Economic Policy Research Center (EPRC), in partnership with the Ilia State University, one of the leading universities in Georgia, launched the Lecture Series on Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic Integration for students of Master of Public Administration (MPA). The lecture series is the continuation of the Leadership Academy for Development (LAD) program financed by EWMI ACCESS and Good Governance Initiative (GGI) programs and implemented by EPRC together with Stanford University and Iliauni in January, 2016.
The Leadership Academy for Development (LAD) is the Stanford University’s executive-level training program for government, business and CSO leaders. The program trains leaders from developing countries to help private and public sectors act as constructive forces for economic growth and development. As a result of EPRC’s successful networking and mediation with the Stanford University’s Center for Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law (CDDRL), the policy-makers, business executives and CSO leaders from Georgia and other developing countries had an exciting opportunity to engage in a 5-day course with world’s famous scholars and honorable professors – Francis Fukuyama (from Stanford University) and Alan Trager (from Johns Hopkins University).
Throughout the training course, lecturers and 25 participants elaborated on how to promote sound public policies and be effective reform leaders in complex policy environments. Considering the country-specific economic, political and cultural settings, through discussion of the case studies, LAD participants learned how to set priorities, plan actions, build coalitions, and operate effectively under adverse conditions.
After completing the first LAD program, EPRC and IliaUni agreed to sustain their cooperation and capitaliz
e on the received experience by putting together a special course for the IliaUni MPA students to be delivered by the first cohort of LAD alumni. The course focuses on Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration and covers the topics such as: European Integration and the visa liberalization process; prospects of joining NATO and its implications on Georgia’s security; Georgia’s commitments under the EU-Georgia Association Agreement; EU regulations and the perspectives for the development of small and medium enterprises in Georgia; hate speech and Anti-European propaganda in the Georgian media.
Students have the opportunity to get first-hand information from distinguished speakers who currently lead Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic Integration processes and those who were involved in this process before, including – Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Former Deputy Secretary of the National Security Council of Georgia, Former Head of National Bank of Georgia, Deputy Head of Georgia’s Business Association and other experts. Apart from delivering these lecture series, the LAD alumni will assist students in developing case studies using Georgian examples and following the Stanford case study guidelines.
First round of lectures, which ended on May 16, was among elective courses of the MPA program. Commenced from the next school semester (September, 2016), the course will become part of the MPA mandatory curriculum. IliaUni will offer administrative, logistical, and financial support for this initiative, while EPRC will provide technical expertise and networking with Stanford University and the current and future alumni of LAD.
EWMI ACCESS highly values that the EPRC and the IliaUni cooperation continued beyond its initial scope and funding and that the Georgian counterparts laid down the long-lasting grounds for its sustainability and ownership.
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