The Rumsfeld Foundation is pleased to announce the 10 outstanding professionals selected for the 2026 CAMCA Fellowship Program.
Established in 2008, the CAMCA Fellowship is a joint initiative of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute at the American Foreign Policy Council and the Rumsfeld Foundation. The program brings promising emerging leaders from Central Asia, Mongolia, the Caucasus, and Afghanistan (CAMCA) to the United States for an intensive, high-level exchange designed to build lasting personal and professional connections. By encouraging greater cooperation across the region and strengthening ties between the United States and CAMCA countries, the Fellowship creates a foundation for continued dialogue, collaboration, and leadership through its growing alumni network.
Now entering its 32nd session, the Fellowship welcomes the 2026 cohort into a network of more than 320 alumni who share a commitment to advancing cooperation and fostering stronger regional and international relationships.
Over the course of five weeks, Fellows will participate in private, high-level meetings with leading policymakers, business executives, journalists, academics, military personnel, and regional experts. These conversations will offer firsthand insights into the institutions, perspectives, and processes that shape decision-making and public policy in the United States. To explore local approaches to economic development and good governance, the cohort will also travel to Denver, Colorado; Reno, Nevada; and Salt Lake City, Utah, for a week of regional engagement. In addition to group programming, Fellows will receive support in arranging individual meetings tailored to their professional interests, along with opportunities for professional development and networking.
The 2026 cohort brings together a diverse group of talented professionals and emerging leaders from across the CAMCA region, pictured below from left to right. Learn more about the Fellows and their backgrounds in their full biographies: 2026 CAMCA Fellows.
Mr. Mustafa Aryan – Afghanistan – President of the Toronto Branch of the Canadian International Council
Ms. Ani Avetisyan – Armenia – Armenian journalist, researcher, and open-source intelligence specialist
Mr. Hovhannes Harutyunyan – Armenia – Program Director at the National Democratic Institute
Mr. Rusif Huseynov – Azerbaijan – Founding Director of Topchubashov Center, a Baku-based think tank
Ms. Mariam Koyava – Georgia – Founder and Managing Partner of SavvY, a business consulting and investment advisory firm supporting businesses, investors, and public institutions across emerging markets in the Caucasus and Central Asia
Ms. Laura Vaigorova – Kazakhstan – Co-Founder and CEO of Smartestprep Ltd., an AI-powered university admissions and career guidance platform
Mr. Chubak Temirov – Kyrgyz Republic – Deputy Director of the High Technology Park (HTP) of the Kyrgyz Republic and a technology ecosystem builder
Ms. Tana Jambaldorj – Mongolia – Strategy and policy advisor specializing in long-term development policy and intersectoral coordination
Ms. Muna Shukurova – Tajikistan – Fintech executive and digital finance leader serving as Managing Director of Alif Uzbekistan
Mr. Abbos Djurabaev – Uzbekistan – Senior banking, capital markets, and corporate finance executive currently serving on the Supervisory Board of ApexBank
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