YOUNG STUDENTS WHO RECEIVED SCHOLARSHIPS UNDER THE 7TH ECOWAS-SPAIN SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM HAVE RECEIVED THEIR MASTER’S DEGREES IN DIPLOMACY AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS IN MADRID.

The Director of Education, Science and Culture, Dr. Roland KOUAKOU, represented the Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs, Prof. Fatou Sow SARR, at the graduation ceremony for the seventh cohort of the Master’s program in Diplomacy and International Relations at the Diplomatic Academy of Madrid on June 3, 2026. The Master’s program in Diplomacy and International Relations is an ECOWAS-Spain scholarship program for young diplomats from ECOWAS member states.

This program is part of the cooperation between ECOWAS and Spain. The objectives of these scholarships include: improving human capital development within the ECOWAS region; increasing the number of diplomats with a high level of proficiency in Spanish and a strong understanding of Spanish realities, following Master’s level studies; enriching the region’s knowledge base and promoting cooperation between Spain and ECOWAS; encouraging the exchange of ideas and information between Spain and ECOWAS; and promoting personal and professional development and facilitating integration among students through language immersion programs and the exchange of best practices.

Participation in the program is strongly contingent upon a high level of proficiency in Spanish. Scheduled to last one year, the program began in September 2025 and concluded in June 2026 with a graduation ceremony for approximately forty students from the class of 2026, most of whom came from Spanish-speaking countries. Five (5) students from ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) participated, representing Benin, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Guinea, and the ECOWAS Commission.

The program is designed for young diplomats working in the administrations of ECOWAS member states. In 2025, it was opened to ECOWAS staff members fluent in Spanish.

Ambassadors, Chargés d’Affaires, and Counselors from the Embassies of Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, and Guinea attended the graduation ceremony.