Leadership Academy for Development opens in Georgia

Georgian Government officials and business sector leaders are given opportunity to enjoy an executive-level training program that will teach selected participants how to be effective reform leaders, promoting sound public policies in complex and contentious settings.

Georgia’s Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC) and Stanford University for Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law (CDDRL) centre opened the Leadership Academy for Development (LAD) in Georgia yesterday.

The LAD is an executive-level training programme that trains government officials and business sector leaders from developing countries to help the private sector be a constructive force for economic growth and development.

The LAD Programme in Georgia will take place on January 18-22, 2016 and will be implemented jointly by CDDRL and the Economic Policy Research Centre. LAD in Georgia is supported by the Ilia State University.

At the Leaders’ Academy opening ceremony Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili expressed his gratitude to the organisers for implementing this programme. Kvirikashvili also introduced the Government’s priorities to the audience.

While delivering his speech the PM said the Government was taking actions to support the entrepreneurship development, to eliminate the bureaucratic obstacles, to launch the programmes that support businesses and to encourage young people who have innovative ideas.

Besides I want to mention that European and Euro-Atlantic integration is the main direction of our foreign policy,” said Kvirikashvili.

In our region Georgia is leader in terms of freedom and democracy… In recent years, Georgia has made steady progress in terms of strengthening democratic institutions. Our success in the fields of the rule of law, human right and governance won the international recognition,” Kvirikashvili added.

Meanwhile, Stanford University professor Francis Fukuyama, said Georgia had made significant progress in terms of democracy.

Fukuyama will lead the LAD Programme in Georgia together with Professor Alan Trager of Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.