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The International training Center for Government Authorities and Leaders (CIFAL Atlanta) signed a memorandum of Understanding with Kennesaw State University (KSU) to jointly provide capacity building and training programs for leaders around the world. Through the partnership, CIFAL Atlanta will relocate its offices to Kennesaw State University’s Institute for Global Initiatives. This move creates the first UNITAR’s CIFAL training center worldwide hosted by a university and is expected to serve as a global model for other partnerships.
CIFAL Atlanta provides executive training throughout the world and acts as a hub for information, communication and knowledge exchange between government authorities, non-governmental organizations, international organizations, the private sector, civil society, and academic institutions. Its programs provide access to knowledge, experience, resources and best practices in the areas of social and economic development and environmental sustainability.
This collaboration provides the opportunity to build on mutual strengths, to achieve excellence in training delivery and curriculum design based on academic thinking in international development fields. KSU has a variety of leading programs that can meet capacity-building needs in countries around the world.
In 2013, CIFAL Atlanta and KSU will be providing joint training programs for government authorities in the areas of STEM education, aviation and economic development, and inclusive technologies. Student oriented activities will also take place at KSU to raise awareness on how the UN partners with academic institutions in addressing issues such as HIV/AIDS, gender equality, green economy and economic development.
In the recent past CIFAL Atlanta has had the pleasure of working together with experts from the ATOMS Center, the Institute for Global Initiatives and the Michael Coles College of Business and their contributions were extremely well appreciated. Based on this extremely positive experience and on the expertise of both institutions in the area of STEM Education and competitiveness, the domain of STEM education was identified as a first concrete area for cooperation.
Walter Bastian, deputy assistant secretary for the Western Hemisphere at the U.S. Department of Commerce, visited Atlanta from Washington to speak at the Feb. 11 launch event. CIFAL Atlanta’s Board of Trustees, Advisory Committee, Consular Corps and partners joined the special gathering.
