Adel Testimonials

The ADEL Program provided a rare space where reflection met responsibility. It encouraged me to think beyond technical expertise and engage more deeply with leadership, power, and systems, particularly from an African and Global South perspective.

The ADEL Program was both a reset and a catalyst for me. In one of the busiest weeks of the year, it provided me with space to step back from the day-to-day and think more intentionally about leadership and impact. The futures-thinking workshops were especially valuable. They helped me widen my scope of thinking and get comfortable with uncertainty.

The ADEL Program was a great opportunity to network with peers from around the world, learn, and exchange ideas on common interests and challenges. The cohort's diversity fostered passionate discussions and underscored the need to create more spaces for policy experts from diverse backgrounds to engage with one another and cultivate strategic empathy. I love debating, and the ADEL program delivered!

The Atlantic Dialogues Emerging Leaders Program was an intense and deeply enriching experience, both personally and professionally. More than a program, it was a space for demanding conversations, shared learning, and genuine connection.

ADEL was an extremely meaningful and transformative experience for me. It challenged the way I see myself as both a leader and a person, pushing me to question long-held assumptions and grow in ways I did not expect. One of the most powerful aspects of the program was learning how to think the unthinkable and look toward the future in a context of accelerated change and global crises affecting every continent.

I was looking for a condensed leadership development experience that could fit into a short period of time (and be feasible alongside my tight work schedule) when I found out about ADEL: a program born in the Global South. But it delivered much more than that.

It has been a transformative experience for me, broadening my perspective in ways I hadn't anticipated. The opportunity to engage with a diverse group, each bringing their unique backgrounds and viewpoints, was incredibly enriching. The program's collaborative environment fostered a unique learning experience and made me realise how powerful collaboration can be when it comes to shaping a better future.

As far as I am concerned, it meant genuine connection. Pure, stimulating, and great personality match and clash, which led to extremely interesting conversations.

It allowed me to explore part of me that I didn't know ever existed and reinforced my identity and allowed me to talk about subjects I don’t always conform to but truly enjoy.

From start to finish, the ADEL Program immerses participants in a stimulating and supportive environment. Thanks to the team’s thoughtful design, flawless organization, and genuinely welcoming spirit, it creates a space combining deep professional learning with personal enrichment.

ADEL was a much-needed reset. In an increasingly polarized world, it reminded me of the enduring positives of the global order, clarified my own role and responsibility within it, and reaffirmed what becomes possible when people engage with ideas openly, honestly, and with a genuine commitment to solutions.

The strength of the ADEL Program is the richness of its participants, constituting young leaders not only from many countries but also from diverse professional backgrounds across government, the private sector, non-profits, think tanks, and academia. Bringing this dynamic group together and into proximity with high-level thought leaders during the Atlantic Dialogues generated inspiring discussions on the cutting edge of international issues, peering into the future.

The ADEL Program has been one of a kind. For me, it meant HOPE. Reflecting on the experience reminds me of Aristotle’s words: Hope is a waking dream.

The program has had a tremendous impact on both my career aspirations and my understanding of the world we live in. It is exactly the kind of program I needed to see how connected we are globally, and in many ways facing similar challenges, just in different contexts.

The ADEL Program effectively bridged the gap between my work as an investor and the shifting landscape of global policy. It was a transformative experience to engage with both established and emerging leaders on the role of the Global South in the new global order. Through critical discussions across a range of core policy themes, I gained deeper insights and built a global network of colleagues at the forefront of policy.

The ADEL Program was a truly transformative experience for me. It offered much more than high-level discussions; it created a space for genuine connection, critical thinking, and shared purpose among leaders from across the Atlantic.

For 2025, I was searching for an interdisciplinary global community of professionals who were passionate about building bridges across regions and sectors. Being part of the 2025 ADEL Program exceeded my wildest dreams, this is hands-down the best professional development program I have ever participated in.

The ADEL Program was a great opportunity for me to step outside my DC bubble, learn from, and share ideas with inspiring thinkers and changemakers from 27 nations. It allowed me to expand my knowledge, grow professionally, and form genuine human connections in a deeply fractured world.

“The ADEL program created an engaging and welcoming space, in which open dialogue on key issues facing the Global South was able to be discussed without fear of censorship. I had a wonderful time meeting and bonding with the other participants—which, considering I am typically a bit of a silent participant in these programs, is really saying something.

"The Atlantic Dialogues Emerging Leaders program is a valuable platform that brings together experts, policymakers, and stakeholders from various nationalities to discuss the complexities of public policy shaping and the evolving dynamics of transatlantic diplomacy. The events facilitated an insightful exchange of ideas on how Western and developing nations can collaborate to create inclusive and effective policy frameworks.