In an increasingly interconnected world, the strength of international public service and non-profit organizations relies heavily on diverse leadership. The expanding diversity within societies globally needs to be mirrored in those who are shaping international policies and initiatives. While efforts to broaden the talent pool from underrepresented groups with the right qualifications are valuable, they alone are insufficient to ensure diversity at senior levels. This is where targeted international career development programs become essential. These programs are designed to actively assist and mentor professionals from diverse backgrounds, helping them ascend to leadership positions in international affairs.
The Aspen ICAP Seminar: A Model for Effective Career Development
The International Career Advancement Program (ICAP) seminar, held annually at the Aspen Institute, exemplifies how international career development programs can effectively foster diversity. This week-long intensive program brings together mid-career professionals from underrepresented groups with seasoned senior officials, esteemed faculty, and experienced staff. By removing participants from their daily work pressures and placing them in a reflective environment, ICAP facilitates focused engagement, career introspection, and the building of crucial professional networks. The seminar utilizes a blend of lectures, interactive seminars, open discussions, skill-building workshops, informal networking opportunities, and even storytelling to achieve its goals.
The ICAP seminar curriculum is carefully designed to:
- Analyze pressing international issues and policy challenges facing global leaders.
- Explore the attributes, values, experiences, and credentials of effective leadership and strategies for their development.
- Examine the career trajectories and insights of individuals who have reached senior positions in international affairs, offering relevant lessons for mid-career professionals.
- Address common career and life cycle stages and effective strategies for navigating professional challenges.
- Specifically address the unique obstacles faced by professionals of color and strategies for overcoming systemic barriers.
- Underscore the critical importance of diversity for effective and high-quality leadership in the international arena for the benefit of nations worldwide.
- Develop actionable strategies to encourage broader participation in international affairs careers, including outreach initiatives to inspire high school and college students from diverse backgrounds.
- Promote the vital role of mentorship in international careers, establish mentoring relationships between senior leaders and program participants, and empower mid-career professionals to become mentors themselves.
- Cultivate strong, lasting networks of mutual support among participants that extend far beyond the seminar experience.
Furthermore, ICAP provides personalized career counseling, offering individual guidance, advice, and planning sessions for each participant, enhancing the program’s long-term impact.
Addressing Systemic Barriers to Diversity: The Genesis of ICAP
Associate Professor E. Thomas Rowe, Director of ICAP at the Josef Korbel School, initiated the program based on his direct observations of the persistent lack of diversity in senior international roles. Despite efforts to increase the number of qualified minority candidates through graduate fellowships, leadership positions remained overwhelmingly homogeneous. The assumption that a larger diverse talent pool and reduced overt discrimination would automatically lead to diverse leadership proved inaccurate. Less visible barriers, such as a lack of mentors and role models, exclusion from key professional networks, inadequate support systems, and subtle, institutionalized discriminatory practices, were significant impediments. ICAP was conceived to directly address these mid-career obstacles by providing targeted support, advice, and networking opportunities, ultimately proving that international career development programs, when thoughtfully structured, are indeed good – and necessary – for achieving genuine diversity and inclusion in international leadership.
