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= Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa Academy for Diplomatic Studies = The Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa Academy for Diplomatic Studies (MBMA) was established on 31 July 2019 by Royal Decree of His Maje

sty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. MBMA is named in honor of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister, who served as the Kingdom’s first Minister of Foreign Affairs and is a pioneer of modern Bahraini diplomacy. MBMA, as an academy under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is responsible for the recruitment of prospect diplomats through a selection-process and training them throughout different career-phases.

History
Soon after the establishment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1971, the Amiri Decree No. (4) for the Year 1971 on Regulating the Diplomatic and Consular Corps was issued under which Foreign Service Committee (FSC) originated. FSC was responsible for examining, evaluating, recommending, and appointing of diplomat within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Prospect diplomats joined as attachés after passing FSC-administered exam and received practical training, under patronage of ministry’s undersecretary, over a probationary period of one year. Once completed, FSC evaluated performances by administering an assessment based on which diplomats successfully joined the diplomatic corps.

The process of diplomat-recruitment changed following Royal Decree No. (67) for the Year 2016 on Restructuring the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Under the Royal Decree, the Diplomatic Institute (DIT) was created as directorate reporting directly to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Formal training finally became institutionalized for newly joined attachés within the ministry, overseen by DIT. Although DIT administered exams and made recommendations, the final review, appointments, and recommendations to the minister were carried by the Committee of the Diplomatic and Consular Corps, established under the Royal Decree No. (37) for the Year 2009 Relating the Diplomatic and Consular Corps. On 29 October 2017, Dr. Shaikha Muneera bint Khalifa Al Khalifa was officially appointed Executive Director to DIT and remains to be under the current name of Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa Academy for Diplomatic Studies.

Pursuant to the Royal Decree No. (54) for the Year 2019, the Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa Academy for Diplomatic Studies (MBMA) was established and replaced the preceding Diplomatic Institute. In addition to the inherited duties and responsibilities of its predecessor, MBMA manages its own budget, formulates its own policy and procedures, and confers academic degrees within the scope of diplomatic work.

Naming of the Academy
In 2019, His Majesty the King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa issued a royal decree establishing the Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa Academy for Diplomatic Studies in honored of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak’s outstanding service towards Bahraini diplomacy.

H.H. Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, who currently serves as Deputy Prime Minister, was Bahrain’s first Minister of Foreign Affairs. In his capacity as foreign minister, he played a pioneering role in laying the institutional groundwork for Bahrain’s diplomacy since the founding of the Foreign Affairs Directorate in 1969.

Shaikh Mohammed received his primary education in Bahrain and completed his secondary education at the International School of the American University in Beirut. He later continued his higher education in International Relations and Law at London University in the United Kingdom.

In his career, he served as Judge, Director of Public Relations, Director of Media, and Head of Foreign Affairs. He also served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Information, as well as having membership to the Supreme Ruling Family Council, Supreme Defense Council,  and Economic Development Board. He heads the Board of Trustees of Isa Award for Human Sciences.

Shaikh Mohammed played a key role in the 1970 discussions and negotiations with the United Kingdom and Iran, as well as the United Nations’ delegation, which culminated in the independence of the State of Bahrain. His diplomatic efforts facilitated Bahrain becoming a member in the United Nations and the Arab League. He also had a prominent role in helping to settle the border-dispute between Bahrain and Qatar, which was solved by the International Court of Justice in 2001.

Duties and Responsibilities
MBMA is responsible for the recruitment of prospect diplomats through a selection-process and training them throughout different career-phases. It also seeks to raise public awareness of key issues and trends within international relations, engaging with different sectors of society, in efforts to developing a knowledge base of global issues and Bahraini diplomacy. Hosting lectures, seminars, forums, and conferences, MBMA helps bringing experts together to discuss matters of diplomatic studies and international relations as a key research strategy from which it generates analyses of global affairs, offering insights to officials and diplomats. Moreover, MBMA works on developing relations and building partnerships globally with other academies and institutes, contributing to a wider community of research centers and diplomatic institutions.

As per the Royal Decree prompting the formation of MBMA, the following responsibilities are stipulated:


 * 1) Formulate policies and strategic plans to develop the diplomatic and consular corps.
 * 2) Develop programs, courses, and workshops to improve and prepare members of the diplomatic and consular corps.
 * 3) Design courses and assessments for prospective diplomats.
 * 4) Confer academic degrees within the scope of diplomatic work, as consistent with applicable higher education laws.
 * 5) Organize developmental training programs to improve employee-performance in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other governmental bodies.
 * 6) Conduct report-writing- skill training for Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ personnel.
 * 7) Promote a culture of diplomacy through research, publication, and film production.
 * 8) Seek collaboration and coordination with other ministries and national and international agencies.
 * 9) Host seminars and workshops in relation to diplomatic work by appealing to domestic and international specialists.
 * 10) Perform any task assigned by the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Executive Director
The Executive Director of MBMA holds a position parallel to the position of Undersecretary within the ministry, as stipulated under Royal Decree No. (54), though answering directly to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The position of Executive Director to MBMA is currently held by Dr. Shaikha Muneera bint Khalifa Al Khalifa.

Dr. Muneera holds an MPhil and a DPhil (PhD) in International Relations and Oriental Studies from the University of Oxford, from which she, as first Bahraini National, received the Clarendon Scholarship. While obtaining her doctorate degree, she worked primarily in academia teaching courses of Middle-East History and Politics. Her research focused on International Norms, National Identity, and Nation Building.

Dr. Muneera was appointed as acting director to the Diplomatic Institute (DIT) in September 2016. With the guidance of the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, she took the responsibility of establishing DIT, its mandate, identity, and role within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2017, Dr. Muneera was officially appointed Executive Director to DIT and remained to be throughout the transition into MBMA. On 29 September 2019, Royal Decree No. (77) officially names Dr. Muneera as Executive Director to MBMA.