About the Academy

H.E. Paul Poudadewas a professor of international relations at the Institut d’Études Politiques (Sciences Po) in Paris and director of the protocol and diplomatic practice program at ADI. He served asChief of Protocol for the President of the French Republic and as French Ambassador to Guatemala, Hungary, and Turkey. He held various diplomatic posts at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and at the French Mission to the United Nations in New York (1971–2007).

In 2010, he was appointed associate judge at the National Court of Asylum. Ambassador Poudade leads advisory missions and teaches courses on protocol as well as diplomatic and international practices. He is also a member of the AMD’s Academic Council and serves as director of the “Diplomatic Protocol” program at the Académie des Métiers de la Diplomatie.

Patrick Van Haute is a high-ranking Belgian diplomat with more than thirty years of experience in international relations and multilateral governance. He has held key positions at the OECD, where he served successively as Executive Director (2007–2012) and then as Director of the Council Secretariat (2012–2017).

In the Belgian diplomatic service, he served as Ambassador to Singapore and Brunei (1996–1999), Economic Minister-Counselor in Washington, D.C. (1992–1996), Permanent Representative to the OECD (2004–2007), as well as spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and economic advisor to King Baudouin and later to Crown Prince Philippe. He also headed the office of the Minister of Foreign Trade.

Since 2016, he has served as chairman of the board of directors of APETRA, which is responsible for Belgium’s strategic oil reserves. A certified professional coach since 2018, Patrick Van Haute now works as a consultant in strategy, diplomacy, negotiation, and crisis management for public policymakers, international organizations, and academic institutions.

He serves on the AMD’s Academic Council and oversees training programs focused on careers in diplomacy and international governance.

With more than twenty years of experience in diplomatic, international, and institutional affairs, Caroline NOKERMAN has held senior positions within a national diplomatic service and later at the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) in Paris.

Within the OIF, she served as Director of Protocol and later as Deputy Director of Administration and Finance. Prior to that, she led institutional partnerships and international cooperation projects, coordinating multicultural teams in demanding diplomatic environments. This background has given her recognized expertise in diplomacy, protocol, international cooperation, and institutional governance, as well as in-depth knowledge of how international organizations operate.

She holds a master’s degree in international relations and a degree in political science, is fluent in French and English, and operates with ease in high-level international settings. She is currently further developing her skills as a member of the first cohort—selected from among more than 1,500 candidates—of the “EU-Women Leaders 2026” certification program, supported by the European Union and dedicated to promoting women to leadership positions.

As a member of the Board of the Academy of Diplomatic Professions, Caroline NOKERMAN contributes her experience and knowledge of diplomatic realities to the Academy’s strategic planning and the development of its activities.

Isabelle Djian is a digital economist and a graduate of Panthéon-Sorbonne University and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. A recognized expert on the transformation of economic sectors in the digital age, her doctoral research focused on the impact of technological disruptions on the restructuring of industries and public policy.

She began her career as an economic advisor to Bernard Miyet, former Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and President of SACEM, where she helped drive the digital transformation of the cultural sector. She then joined MEDEF (Mouvement des Entreprises de France) as Director of Economic and Financial Affairs, working with leading French and international companies, the French government, and the European Union on strategic issues such as international financial regulation, digital currencies, and the integration of artificial intelligence into public governance and economic models.

Currently the Executive Director of AFJEL, an organization representing a strategic technology sector, she promotes an ethical and innovative digital ecosystem. An essayist and international speaker, she addresses the economic, political, and societal challenges posed by digital technologies. She also leads pioneering initiatives in the fields of civic tech and the metaverse, with the goal of democratizing innovation for the common good.

At the Académie des Métiers de la Diplomatie, Isabelle Djian directs the Digital Diplomacy, Artificial Intelligence, and New Technologies program, applying her expertise to train a new generation of international decision-makers capable of addressing the critical challenges at the intersection of technology, diplomacy, and global governance.

Barbara GRAY is an international, bicultural, and trilingual journalist who is fluent in English, French, and German. Based in Paris for over 25 years, she has extensive experience in international media, strategic communications, and crisis management. As a producer for ABC News and ITV News (ITN), she has also worked with the BBC, CNN, NBC News, and Reuters.

With several hundred television interviews under her belt, she coaches executives, politicians, diplomats, and high-level decision-makers on media preparation, public speaking, and handling sensitive situations, in both French and English.

Barbara GRAY directs the “Media and Diplomacy” program at the Académie des Métiers de la Diplomatie, where she draws on her international expertise to train diplomats and decision-makers on the international stage.

Her expertise is also supported by an international network of communications specialists based in 15 countries. She has worked with major corporations, public institutions, diplomatic missions, and international organizations, including EDF, the British Embassy in Paris, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, BNP Paribas, Bouygues Construction, the African Development Bank, ONCF Morocco, Dassault Systèmes, Coface, and several international pharmaceutical companies.

Her experience in crisis communication has led her to work with Novartis, UPM Finland, the Ministry of Health, the British Prime Minister’s Office at Downing Street, SNCF Fret, and France Galop, among others.

Peter HUMI is a seasoned journalist with more than 50 years of experience in international media. He began his career in 1972 at UPI in London before joining CNN in 1982, where he spent more than two decades covering several major international events: the wars in Lebanon and the former Yugoslavia, the fall of communism, the Gulf War, and the rise of terrorism. He held leadership positions in Rome, London, and Paris, where he served as Bureau Chief and Executive Producer.

Since 2008, he has been a freelance journalist (Al Jazeera, TRTW, i24, etc.) and a communications consultant. He regularly teaches journalism and media studies at Sciences Po, CELSA–Sorbonne, the Paris Institute of Journalism, and the American University of Paris.

He trains senior executives at major companies in public speaking, media interviews, crisis communication, and crafting compelling speeches. He also hosts international events and produces video content for companies.

At the Académie des Métiers de la Diplomatie (AMD), he serves as the lead instructor for the “Media and Diplomacy” program and is a member of the Academic Council, where he helps shape and develop programs in the fields of media, strategic communication, and diplomatic public speaking.

Humi has a degree in history from University College London.

Marie Claire Faye,a formerFrench civil servant, devoted more than forty years to serving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the President of the Republic. She began her career in 1973 as an assistant in the General Secretariat of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a position she held until 1976. From 1976 to 1993, she joined the office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, where she served successively as assistant and then as the minister’s private secretary, actively contributing to the smooth operation of the ministerial office and the coordination of diplomatic affairs. Subsequently, Marie Claire Faye joined the Protocol Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a protocol officer, helping to organize official missions and diplomatic ceremonies. From 2001 to 2014, she continued her career in the Protocol Unit of the Office of the President of the Republic as a protocol officer, coordinating and implementing official protocol events at the highest level of government.

Today, Ms. Faye brings her expertise to the Académie des Métiers de la Diplomatie (AMD), where she provides consulting and training services on state protocol and diplomatic practice, and serves as a member of the AMD’s Academic Council, helping to promote French diplomatic expertise.

Denise Guine Baldassarre has been a professor of French as a Foreign Language, Phonetics, and French for Specific Purposes (FOS) for over forty years and is a recognized expert in diplomatic communication and high-level language training.

She has taught at the Alliance Française in Paris—where she trained future phonetics teachers—at Gustave Eiffel University (Marne-la-Vallée), and at Sweet Briar College in Paris. She regularly lectures at institutions such as the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, UNESCO, the International Diplomatic Academy, and the Academy of Diplomatic Professions, where she designs and directs the program in Diplomatic French and Phonetics.

Specializing in teaching French for diplomatic and institutional purposes, the school trains diplomats, judges, and international civil servants in the linguistic conventions of diplomacy, official writing (verbal notes, correspondence, speeches), and public speaking in multilingual settings.

Its rigorous, customized teaching approach combines linguistic precision, protocol practices, and international standards.

At the Académie des Métiers de la Diplomatie, Ms. Guine Baldassarre directs the French Language Training Program for Diplomacy and International Relations.