Background and challenges to implementation:
The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHSPH) has supported a Global Tobacco Control Leadership Program and an academic Certificate Program for over a decade. These capacity building programs have reached approximately 1700 people in over 85 countries. Program evaluations and feedback from our Partners indicated a need for an advanced leadership program. In 2017, a pilot project to enhance the leadership skill set of selected JHSPH Program alumni from low- and middle-income countries was undertaken.

Intervention or response:
Leadership and Certificate Program alumni were invited to submit a brief concept note addressing a tobacco control problem they would address as part of a project during the course of the year. Applicants were also evaluated on their statement of interest; commitment from their parent organization; their qualifications and experience; and letters of reference. Selected scholars are acquiring advanced leadership skills through a year-long curriculum focused on a systems thinking and design approach. The curriculum comprises of in-person components (lectures; group work etc.), online components (webinars), targeted mentoring by established leaders and implementation of the project. Program evaluation will include assessing of the extent to which the scholars were able to apply advanced leadership skills in the context of a systems approach in their work.

Results and lessons learnt:
While recognizing leadership potential in individuals can be challenging from afar, in-depth queries, the strength of their organization's commitment, and the willingness of others to mentor and support an individual are expected to be indicative of the scholar's potential. A creative approach to curriculum design can help ensure that leadership value is added across a diverse scholar cohort.

Conclusions and key recommendations:
The scholar's program provides a tailored approach to capacity building in low-and middle- income countries and provides an opportunity to advance the next generation of tobacco control leaders.