WIDA has more than 350 alumni from 60 countries. From students and recent graduates to senior executives, they apply practical diplomacy skills in foreign ministries, international organizations, businesses, nonprofits and many other fields.
Nick Faust
UNITED STATES
"The time spent here builds practice. You can look online or read a book, but to actually do it and be critiqued by people who had that experience is invaluable. You'll get that nowhere else in the world.”
Inga Chandilya
ESTONIA
“It's been an amazing experience. It's a very international group of people. The huge benefit from this course is that you are really learning from experts — very experienced ex-ambassadors. It's very practical."
Pamela Jahier
UNITED STATES & MAURITIUS
“WIDA offered the program that was going to give me the best insight into a career in diplomacy. And it topped all my expectations. I really felt immersed in everything foreign affairs. It changed my perception of things.”
Lite Seruvakula
FIJI
“The facilitators were very engaging. In health diplomacy, for instance, the ambassador shared his experience of how he got resources from the U.S. to Africa, and what you have to think about in this kind of negotiations."
Ikenna Ezealah, Ph.D.
UNITED STATES & NIGERIA
“I feel better equipped as I proceed along my career path. You experience the different challenges a diplomat would run into. WIDA is an experiential immersion. It will give you tools and skills you wouldn’t get anywhere else.”
Rachel Boveja, Ph.D.
UNITED STATES
“As a mid-career professional, this academy gave me the opportunity of a discourse with others from a variety of backgrounds who were also interested in diplomacy. I look forward to using these skills throughout my career.”
Consuela Lahoury
UNITED STATES & CÔTE D'IVOIRE
"This was the best decision I made this year. I didn't know it was that intensive, and I'd get such comprehensive knowledge of all the subjects I was interested in. It went beyond my expectations."
Sara Andresen
UNITED STATES
“In some ways, it was what I expected, but I got a much clearer and deeper view of that. In other ways, it has given me insights into aspects of diplomacy that I wouldn’t necessarily have expected.”
Elizabeth Mellor
UNITED STATES
“This was one of the best summer experiences I've had. It was so engaging and enlightening about diplomacy, which is not necessarily easy to learn about. There isn't an ambassador down the street you can go talk to.”
Maksim Greinoman
ESTONIA
“I wanted to learn something that’s not in the books, and for that you need experienced diplomats. The American approach is more down-to-earth than the European approach. It was interesting to see how they influence people in difficult circumstances.”
Selam Petersson
SWEDEN
“Going behind the scenes of what it means to be a diplomat was invaluable. You won’t get that until after 20 or 30 years of actually being a diplomat. This training will give you such details, which I don’t think you can gain anywhere else.”
Krystal Correal-Tippie
UNITED STATES
“If you are interested in a WIDA course, then take it and let nothing stop you. You will be pushed outside your comfort zone. You will meet unforgettable classmates and officials from around the world, and your perspectives will grow.”