Summing up

For the 2006-2007 academic year, as a result of a selective test conducted by the Ministry of Education and Science, DAG admitted 20 students.  Students of DAG are from different parts of Georgia, of various age groups (mostly between 17-27) and of various professional backgrounds. This indicates great interest of the general public towards the Diplomatic Academy. It shows also that the establishment of the  Diplomatic Academy of Georgia was timely, if not long overdue. But the establishment of such an institution of graduate and post-graduate studies, which awards its graduates MA and BA degrees and tries to create placement for its best graduates, is a great responsibility. It requires not only professionalism on the part of those who run the Academy and teach the students, but also funds.

DAG functions on private funding which is inadequate for proper functioning of the Academy and is insufficient for the Academy's continued growth and improvement. Though the Academy (as the whole country) faces many difficulties, those who created it and are running it, are committed to keeping it going, because Georgia's need for well trained specialists in this field is great.

As Georgia has just started building diplomatic relations with other countries, the establishment of the Diplomatic Academy is an important event for Georgia. The Academy opened at a time when Georgia faced various difficulties. Many of these difficulties remain today, so any help (with books, equipment, consultant services, teaching, lecturing, organizing conferences, creating placement for internships abroad, etc) which any interested institution can provide to DAG, is greatly appreciated. Georgia has a long way to go before it reaches full integration with the world democratic society, and young professionally trained Georgian diplomats can influence this process most positively.

It is clear that the majority of the problems which the country faces today are due to a very low level of political culture. Much of the population has only a vague understanding of such prerequisite conditions for democracy as an open society, human rights, freedom of speech, multi-party system and fair elections, the role of TV and mass-media and the principles defining relations of power to an individual. One of the Academy’s main goals is to fill up this gap. To build a truly democratic and legal state, it is necessary to educate the young generation with an understanding of Western democratic values.

Today the Diplomatic Academy  is practically the only independent institution of higher learning in Georgia which prepares specialists well equipped to serve the country at a broad variety of institutions - ministries, the Parliament, Georgian or foreign embassies and missions, international organizations, joint ventures, trade representations, diplomatic and consular services, etc. The Diplomatic Academy can play an important role in Georgia as the country moves forward and develops along democratic lines.

As to the state educational institutions, their inflexible educational programs, often elderly and still Soviet-oriented faculty, deep-rooted traditions out of tune with modern developments, inheritance of Soviet educational and social traditions, which close minds to necessary changes in individuals and post-Soviet societies - all these hamper creation and introduction of effective up-to-date educational programs and implementation methods. Being independent of any governmental pressure and of any obligatory programs, DAG is free to introduce new disciplines, methods and programs and to invite specialists who can help it develop further.