OPENING APPLICATIONS TO SELECT PARTICIPANTS FOR THE OCTOBER 22-27, 2018 LEADERSHIP ACADEMY FOR DEVELOPMENT (LAD) PROGRAM
Stanford University’s Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law (CDDRL) and the Economic Policy Research Center (EPRC), in partnership with Free University of Tbilisi and the Bank of Georgia University are opening the application intake for the Leadership Academy for Development (LAD) – “The Role of Public Policy in Private Sector Development”, which will take place in Tbilisi, Georgia, between October 22-27, 2018.
About the LAD Program General Information
The Leadership Academy for Development (LAD) is an executive-level training program that trains mid-level government officials and business sector leaders from developing countries to help the private sector be a constructive force for economic growth and development. LAD is a leadership program of Stanford University’s Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law (CDDRL).
For more information about LAD, please see http://cddrl.fsi.stanford.edu/research/the_leadership_academy_for_development
LAD Program in Georgia
The LAD Program in Georgia started in January 2016, the course for the third cohort will take place between October 22-27, 2018 and will be implemented jointly by CDDRL and the Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC) – a local think tank, based in Tbilisi, Georgia. “The Role of Public Policy in Private Sector Development” workshop is an intensive, five-day, executive-level training program that will teach selected participants how to be effective reform leaders, promoting sound public policies in complex and contentious settings. The LAD Program in Georgia will be led by CDDRL Director, Francis Fukuyama of Stanford University.
LAD Training Program Overview
A driving principle of the LAD curriculum is that policy reform is not like engineering or other technical fields that envisage possession of discrete skills and availability of clear, optimal solutions. Instead, successful reformers must be nimble and weigh a broad range of factors that influence policy outcomes. They must have a solid grasp of country-specific economic, financial, political and cultural realities.
Most importantly, they must have a sense of how to set priorities, sequence actions and build coalitions. LAD provides participants with an analytical framework to build these abilities and operate effectively under adverse conditions. LAD courses are based on case studies that are designed to encourage participants to think critically about the key decisions that have led to policy reforms. They are written from the perspective of decision-makers who have designed or executed specific policies and they demonstrate how effective public officials think and act strategically.
The case studies show how these leaders address technical obstacles while simultaneously taking into careful consideration the political, cultural and social constraints to reforms. Also, the performance of the private sector and its role as either a catalyst or an obstacle to economic growth is closely connected to how well or badly government policies are designed and implemented. LAD provides participants with an analytical framework to build these abilities and operate effectively under adverse conditions.
About the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law (CDDRL)
The Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law (CDDRL) at Stanford University engages in research, training, teaching, and organizes intellectual and policy dialogues aimed at increasing public understanding of economic and political development. Founded in 2002, CDDRL has collaborated with scholars, policymakers, and practitioners around the world to advance collective knowledge about the linkages between democracy, sustainable economic development, human rights and the rule of law.
About the Economic Policy Research Center (EPRC)
The Economic Policy Research Center (EPRC) is a think-and do-tank that was founded in Tbilisi, Georgia in 2002. EPRC is created to build a contemporary economic research capacity in Georgia, to enhance economic decision making and to be an important voice in economic and policy discussions. EPRC is striving to enhance the quality of economic policy-making in Georgia by fostering high quality, policy-relevant economic research, and disseminating it widely to decision-makers in the public and private sectors. Throughout the past decade, EPRC has earned a reputation of an objective, reliable and non-partisan source of information on the issues related to economic, financial and social policies.
About the Bank of Georgia University
The Bank of Georgia University was established in 2013 by the country’s leading financial institution, the Bank of Georgia. The university seeks to provide greater access to high quality education. Since it’s establishment the university has managed to become one of the fast-developing leading higher education institution in Georgia. All students, external clients and employees of Bank of Georgia University are offered a wide range of high level, certified, professional and educational programmes. The university also promotes start-ups through its School of Business, its Centres of Financial Education, Certified Training and Professional Education and its Support Centre for Start-Up Businesses. Bank of Georgia University offers its students the unique opportunity of receiving full scholarships which will cover the entire cost of their education.
About the Free University of Tbilisi
The University was founded by The Knowledge Fund (KF) in 2007, which is a non-profit, charity organization founded by Kakha Bendukidze. KF is the largest endowment in higher education in Georgia. Free University is one of the leaders in tertiary education in Georgia. The university stands out with its high quality of education, modern learning environment and high employment level of graduates. At all three levels of tertiary education, Free University Programmes are based on the principles of liberal education, with the aim of developing creative and critical thinking, as well as practical skills of the students. Over the years, high quality of education at Free University has been manifested in high demand and in high employability of graduates – immediately after graduation, 94% of graduates are employed in their professional occupation.
How to Apply – Eligibility Criteria
LAD’s Program in Georgia will select up to 30 participants – from Georgia and from other countries where democracy is not firmly established.
– Applicants should be mid-career practitioners, with at least eight and ideally ten years or more of working experience, from public and private sectors or CSO sector;
– In their present capacity, applicants should play important and influential roles in their country’s political, economic, and social development. Applicants can be working as policy-makers, business sector leaders/entrepreneurs, and leaders of civil society organizations (such as representatives of trade unions, nongovernmental organizations, the media, business and professional associations);
– Applicants should have demonstrated professional and personal achievements in a relevant sector of democracy, development, the rule of law and/or economic development;
– Applicants should have a solid command of written and spoken English. All finalists will be required to participate in a short telephone interview;
– Applicants must be at least 27 years of age when they apply to the program.
Funding
Organizing partners shall award scholarships for the course, including speakers, teaching material and meals during the five-day program for all selected applicants. International applicants will have to pay for their own travel costs, while accommodation and other program related expenses shall be covered by the organizers.
Dates for the LAD Program Georgia
The LAD program will take place between October 22-27, 2018 in Tbilisi, Georgia. Applicants are required to participate in the entire program. They must be sure that they can be absent from their professional obligations during that time and upon acceptance, must commit to attend the entire program.
Application Guidelines
Applicants are required to submit their application electronically through the following link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdwSfFXwNagNEVGPUUjymlwEKulNzje1YgLNko2Y7XiQTAouA/viewform
