21st Century Diplomacy

In many countries people feel that their lives are shaped by world events that lie outside their control. They feel that the impact of external events is sharper, and more immediate than ever before in their daily lives. Terrorism is one such concern; in addition trade, loss of jobs at home, currency fluctuations and other economic factors, and even foreign cultural influences are perceived as problems or threats. Migration is another interconnected, home-external issue, both for the countries that are the sources of economic migrants and the receiving states. These are all facets of our interconnected world, a product of relentless globalization.

This course examines the 21st century environment of world affairs, and the manner in which diplomacy has adapted to the post-Cold War world, dominated as it is by globalization. Forces that operate within countries, as well as exogenous factors, have transformed the way the countries deal with one another, making room for multiple actors, new subjects in the international agenda, and changes that are driven by technology. We may call this ‘globalized diplomacy’.

- excerpt from 21st Century Diplomacy course materials


Description and Objectives

This course gives insight into the contemporary practice of diplomacy, blending theoretical concepts with practice. Assuming that course participants are familiar with the basics, it should deepen their understanding of significant issues in diplomacy management. It focuses on the way relations between countries are managed, and how the foreign policy process operates in the real world. The studies are practitioner-oriented, and should interest working diplomats, international affairs specialists, and those engaged in international organisations and global business.

This course was originally developed in a shorter, self-learning format for the Canadian Foreign Service Institute.

 

Course Outline

  1. Globalised Diplomacy: A survey of the diplomatic process, with special focus on factors driving change. We consider the environment in which foreign ministries operate; the enlarged, complex foreign-domestic interface; the consequences of the ICT revolution; human rights and the role of civil society; multilateral diplomacy; and human resource management.
  2. Regional Diplomacy: This is a high growth area in external affairs, consisting of neighbourhood diplomacy, as well as “plurilateral diplomacy,” where groups build on principles other than geography. We examine the role, potential and the opportunities that these new cluster formats offer, as well as the typology and the innovation incorporated. We also study free trade agreements and the limitations of regional diplomacy.
  3. Foreign Ministry Reform: After the Cold War, and the onset of rapid globalisation, most foreign ministries are engaged in adaptation and reform. We consider the motivation, the models followed, and the priorities in the content of reforms. We also examine new trends in the training of diplomats. We finally consider the pitfalls in implementation of reform.
  4. Decision Management: We examine the generic aspects of decision-making in foreign ministries; the decision categories; the leading theories; their practical application; plus crisis behaviour. In addition, we look at the actors providing input into decisions and the working of the policy process, i.e. the official and the non-state actors; knowledge management; and building institutional memory. 
  5. Performance Management: In the public services, performance management (PerM) is the new mantra; MFAs have no choice but to comply with new public reporting formats, “output budgets” and the like. We examine the impact along three tracks: measuring the efficiency and effectiveness of the MFA and its subsidiary entities; application in human resource management; and performance reporting to publics. We consider the measurement criteria, the downside of performance management.
  6. The Re-Invented Embassy: Thanks to the revitalisation of bilateral diplomacy, the embassy (and the entire diplomatic process) is in renaissance. We consider the new and the changed tasks of embassies, together with relevant examples, plus the caution that needs to be applied in the “reworked” embassy-MFA relationship, under evolution in some leading countries. 
  7. Diplomacy of Small States: A survey of a little-studied, yet current topic. We consider the empirical evidence; the options that small states have developed; their exemplars. We also look at small state diplomatic behaviour, and the group diplomacy that small states practice. 
  8. The Public and Image Building: We analyse image-building activities and the role of the public in foreign affairs. We consider the different models of public diplomacy, including the US experience. We look at methods of news management and the way the country brand is promoted. We consider the thesis that public diplomacy is now practiced both abroad and at home, and centres on building and projecting a country’s soft power.

 

Who Should Apply

  • Practicing diplomats, civil servants, and others who work in international relations who want to refresh or expand their knowledge under the guidance of experienced practitioners and academics;
  • Post-graduate students of diplomacy or international relations wishing to study topics not offered through their university programmes or diplomatic academies and to gain deeper insight through interaction with practicing diplomats;
  • Post-graduate students or practitioners in other fields seeking an entry point into the world of diplomacy;
  • Journalists, staff of international and non-governmental organisations, translators, business people and others who interact with diplomats and wish to improve their understanding of diplomacy-related topics.

 

Structure and Methodology

This course is conducted entirely online over a period of 10 weeks. Reading materials and tools for online interaction are provided through an online classroom. Each week, participants read the provided lecture text, adding questions, comments and references in the form of hypertext entries. Lecturers and other participants read and respond to these entries, creating interaction based on the lecture text. During the week, participants complete additional online activities (for example, further discussion via blogs or forums, quizzes, group tasks, simulations or short assignments). At the end of the week, participants and lecturers meet online in a chat room to discuss the week’s topic. To complete the course successfully, participants must also write one or two essay assignments and a final examination. Courses are based on a collaborative approach to learning, involving a high level of interaction.

 

Lecturer(s)

Ambassador Kishan S Rana, Diplo Senior Fellow
Bilateral Diplomacy, 21st Century Diplomacy, Public Diplomacy

Ambassador Kishan S Rana holds a BA (Hons.) and an MA in economics from St. Stephen's College, Delhi University. He served in the Indian Foreign Service (1960-95); Ambassador/High Commissioner to Algeria, Czechoslovakia, Kenya, Mauritius and Germany; in Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s Office, 1981-82. He is now a Professor Emeritus of the Foreign Service Institute, New Delhi; Senior Fellow at DiploFoundation. He was a Commonwealth Adviser to the Namibia Foreign Ministry, 2000-01, Archives By-Fellow at Churchill College, Cambridge University, 2004, and Public Policy Scholar at Woodrow Wilson Centre, Washington DC, 2005. He Chairs the India Committee of the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP). Authored: Inside Diplomacy (2000); Managing Corporate Culture (co-author, 2000); Bilateral Diplomacy (2002); The 21st Century Ambassador (2004); Asian Diplomacy (2007).

 

Words from Former Participants

I found this course to be very enlightening and relevant to my work area. The very thought of trying to look into the future to see what role diplomacy and the Foreign Ministry will play in the next ten to twenty years is intriguing and this course brought you to this reality and for the preparation of small states especially like mine, to remain in the game.  I would advise anyone who is interested in or in the Foreign Ministry to pursue this course.

Maria Medard - Information Officer, Ministry of External Affairs,
International Trade and Civil Aviation, Santa Lucia

The course has helped me to redefine my role as a diplomat, appreciate the emerging challenges and responsibilities of diplomacy today including the role of new actors like NGOs, thinktanks and academicians. I have learned to appreciate other stakeholders as partners and not competitors to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the conduct of foreign relations. The weekly seminar papers done by the selected seminar teams in the class got us actively researching and exchanging information, it is amazing how much we learned from each other. This kind of networking if maintained will surely enable us achieve much more in our quest to increase knowledge and share best practises in contemporary diplomacy.

Michael Bulwaka - Foreign Service Officer, Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, Uganda

 

Prerequisites

Applicants must have:

  • an undergraduate university degree; OR three years work experience and appropriate professional qualifications in diplomacy or international relations;
  • sufficient ability in English language to undertake postgraduate level studies (including reading academic texts, discussing complex concepts with other course participants, and submitting written essay assignments of up to 2500 words in length);
  • unrestricted access to the Internet using Firefox or Internet Explorer web browsers (please contact us for more details if you are in doubt about your level of access).

 

Fees

Course fees depend on whether you wish to obtain university credit for the course:

  • 755 euros (University of Malta Credit Course)
  • 575 euros (Diplo Certificate Course)

Applicants must pay full fees upon official acceptance into the course. The fee includes:

  • University of Malta application fee (where applicable)
  • Tuition fee
  • Course orientation pack (where applicable - may include text and/or references and Textus Learning User Guide)
  • Access to all required course materials online, via Diplo’s online classroom
  • Personal interaction via the online classroom with course lecturers, staff and other participants
  • Online technical support: requests will be answered within 24 hours
  • Certificate of completion issued by DiploFoundation (upon meeting all course requirements for participation, assignments and examination)

 

Financial Assistance

Discounts are available for more than one participant from the same institution. A limited number of partial scholarships are available for diplomats from developing countries. To apply for a scholarship please include your CV or resume, and a letter outlining your interest in the course and financial need, with your application package.

 

How to Apply

A number of routes for application are available, depending on the needs of the applicant: