Launched in 2008, the CAMCA Fellowship is a joint program of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute at the American Foreign Policy Council and the Rumsfeld Foundation. The program brings exceptional rising leaders from Central Asia, Mongolia, the Caucasus and Afghanistan (CAMCA) to the United States for a high-level, intensive exchange experience designed to forge enduring personal and professional connections among its talented participants. The Fellowship aims to encourage intraregional cooperation among the program countries as well as to foster stronger relations between the U.S. and the CAMCA region, serving as a starting point for continued dialogue and collaboration among the innovative regional leaders of the program’s alumni network.
As participants of the 29th Fellowship session, the Fall 2024 group will join the program’s growing alumni network of 288 former Fellows.
Throughout their six-week program, Fellows will attend a series of private high-level meetings with top policymakers, business leaders, journalists, academics, military personnel and regional experts, exposing them to inside perspectives on opinion-making, decision-making and policy-making processes in the United States. For insights into U.S. economic development and accountable governance, the group will also spend a week traveling to Philadelphia, Albany and New York City. Beyond group sessions, program staff will assist Fellows in arranging individual meetings relevant to their specific interests and provide opportunities for professional development and networking. The Fellows will also participate in a group presentation at a Central Asia-Caucasus Institute forum where they will present on a chosen topic of interest providing current perspectives from the region.
The Fall 2024 Fellows consist of a diverse group of talented regional leaders, pictured left to right below. Find their full bios here. 
Dr. Fayazuddin Ghiasi – Afghanistan – Post-doctoral research fellow at the Institute of Economics and Demography at the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan and a senior researcher at the Centre for Afghanistan and Regional Studies in Dushanbe
Mr. Zalbey Aghadadashov – Azerbaijan – Founder and Managing Partner of Turan Legal and Tax Services LLC, a legal and consulting firm
Dr. Giorgi Danelia – Georgia – Director of BOG Asset Management, a member of the Bank of Georgia Group
Ms. Tamar Ioseliani – Georgia – Chairperson of the Supervisory Board of Anaklia Sea Port LLC
Mr. Gani Khamzin – Kazakhstan – CEO of StroyKom-Samuryk LLP, a construction and architectural design company
Ms. Aigerim Turgunbaeva – Kyrgyz Republic – Freelance journalist covering Central Asia for international outlets
Mr. Enkhtur Lkhagvajav – Mongolia – Director of Energy, Renewables & Projects at MCS Group, a Mongolian diversified conglomerate
Mr. Kormon Rakhmatullaev – Tajikistan – Country Director for the regional USAID Trade Central Asia Activity (TCA)
Ms. Umeda Sattorzoda – Tajikistan – Head of the Financial Market Department at the National Bank of Tajikistan
Mr. Ahmetyar Kulov – Turkmenistan – National Project Coordinator at Deutsche Gesellschaft für International Zusammenarbeit’s (GIZ) regional project on trade facilitation in Central Asia
Ms. Nodira Saidkarimova – Uzbekistan – Chief of Party for USAID's "Safe Migration in Central Asia" Project
To learn more about the CAMCA Fellowship Program please visit our CAMCA Fellowship page.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Sarah C. Tonucci
Executive Director, Rumsfeld Foundation
1100 17th Street NW, #402
Washington, D.C. 20036
Tel: (202) 944-1304
E-mail: sarah@rumsfeldfoundation.org
David Soumbadze
Director, CAMCA Fellowship Program
509 C Street NE
Washington, D.C. 20002
Tel: (301) 257-5753
E-mail: soumbadze@afpc.org