Diplomatic Theory and Practice

Following the Bolshevik seizure of power in Russia in October 1917, Leon Trotsky was appointed People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the new government. The prophet of permanent revolution, with much writing and party work to preoccupy him, Trotsky famously assured a comrade that as head of the foreign ministry he would simply 'issue a few revolutionary proclamations to the peoples of the world and then shut up shop'. In fact, of course, within weeks of the revolution the Bolsheviks found themselves having to begin negotiating first an armistice and then a peace treaty with the Germans, the latter being duly signed at Brest-Litovsk in March 1918. Sensibly enough, Trotsky left the Narkomindel (the Russian acronym for the Bolshevik foreign ministry) at this juncture...

- excerpt from Diplomatic Theory and Practice course materials


Description and Objectives

This course provides a clear account of the shape and functions of the world diplomatic system as it stands at the beginning of the 21st century: what it is, what it does, and why it is important. The course aims to provide knowledge of the nature of diplomacy; when diplomacy is appropriate; the advantages and disadvantages of different diplomatic methods; and the lexicon of diplomacy. In general, a participant who has successfully completed this course should have a strong grasp of the nature of diplomacy conceived as a specialised professional activity developed over many centuries, and be able to defend its value with authority and enthusiasm.

 

Course Outline

  1. The Diplomatic Moment: Diplomacy: a specialised activity. The diplomatic moment: the conditions that encourage diplomacy. Diplomatic systems and diplomatic styles. The world diplomatic system in outline.
  2. Negotiations: Prenegotiations, formula, and details stages. The objectives sought in each and the difficulties peculiar to them. Techniques for securing agreement, for example “linkage.”
  3. Diplomatic Momentum: How the momentum of negotiation can be maintained and, if lost, regained. Deadlines, metaphors of movement, publicity, and raising the level of the talks. Packaging agreements and following up.
  4. Telecommunications: The forms, uses, and limitations of telecommunication in diplomacy, including particular reference to telephone diplomacy in crises (including “hot lines”) and video-conferencing.
  5. Bilateral Diplomacy: Embassies, consular posts, and unconventional resident missions such as interests sections and representative offices. Why they are the major part of the modern counter-revolution in diplomatic practice.
  6. Multilateral Diplomacy: Ad hoc and standing conferences. Questions of procedure: venue, membership, agenda, transparency, and above all decision-making. The triumph of “consensus-decision making” and its various techniques, e.g. NATO’s silence procedure.
  7. Mediation: Good offices, conciliation, and mediation. The motives of mediators (track one and track two). Multiparty mediation. Is there an “ideal mediator?” The ripe moment and whether there is such a thing as a premature mediation.
  8. Summitry: The diplomatist’s bane. The case for the defence: serial summits, ad hoc summits (including funeral diplomacy), the high-level exchange of views. Secrets of summit success.

 

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)

Professor G. R. Berridge, Diplo Senior Fellow
Diplomatic Theory and Practice

Professor G. R. Berridge is Emeritus Professor of International Politics at the University of Leicester, where he was the founding Director of the Centre for the Study of Diplomacy. He still teaches at Leicester on a part-time basis. Until recently, he was General Editor of the Macmillan “Studies in Diplomacy” series and Associate Editor (with responsibility for twentieth century diplomatists) of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, to which he remains an Adviser. He is the author or co-author of numerous books on diplomacy, including the best-selling textbook, Diplomacy: Theory and Practice, which is on the short reading list for the US Foreign Service exam, and has been translated into a number of languages, including Chinese. His book on the Diplomatic Classics appeared in late 2004. Professor Berridge has been an external examiner at many British universities, most recently London and Durham.

 

Mr Haraldur Þór Egilsson
Diplomatic Theory and Practice

Mr Haraldur Þór Egilsson is a historian with a BA degree (first class) from the University of Iceland and an MA (with distinction) in Diplomatic Studies from the University of Leicester. He currently divides his time between a post at Akureyri Museum and teaching at the University of Akureyri. His publications include “The Origins, Use and Development of Hot Line Diplomacy,” Discussion Papers in Diplomacy, No. 85, March 2003 (Netherlands Institute of International Relations Clingendael), and a co-authored book on education in Icelandic. He is currently writing chapters in a book about preserved churches in north Iceland. His research interests are diplomacy, the management of foreign policy, cold war diplomacy, and environmental diplomacy.

 

Mr Christiaan Sys
Diplomatic Theory and Practice, Diplomatic Law: Privileges and Immunities

Mr Christiaan Sys is currently working for the Department of Communities and Local Government in the programme management office of the Fire and Resilience Directorate.  He has previously interned in the office of Sir Malcolm Rifkind (the Member of Parliament for Kensington and Chelsea, and a former Foreign and Defence Secretary) in the House of Commons.  He graduated from the University of Antwerp as Licentiaat in Political Sciences (International Relations) after which he obtained a Master's in Diplomatic Studies with distinction from the University of Leicester.  He has an interest in diplomacy, the United Nations and the environment.

 

Words from Former Participants

I came to the Diplo Foundation eager to receive both a scholarly and a practical introduction to modern diplomacy. Diplomacy Theory and Practice was an ideal course in this regard. The readings introduced key concepts by situating them in both historical and contemporary contexts. Furthermore, the weekly discussions via annotations and the virtual classroom produced a fruitful dialog between scholars and career diplomats coming from diverse backgrounds and time zones. I learned a great deal both from the course instructors and from my fellow students and received far more than the “critical introduction” that I was initially seeking. This course would benefit both interested non specialists and seasoned specialists wanting to deepen their understanding of modern diplomacy at the crossroad of theory and practice.

Carolyn Biltoft - PhD student at Princeton University, USA

I found DTP an excellent introductory credit to the PDG course. It gave me a bird's eye view of the different diplomatic methodologies, including negotiating techniques, multilateral and bilateral, and an in-depth analysis of the work of missions and consulates... every chapter backed with factual anecdotes from the world of international relations. Thus, DTP gives the student a comprehensive overview which is a perfect introduction, but at the same time is in-depth enough for professionals who are already working in the diplomatic field.

Dr Stephanie Psaila, The Sunday Times of Malta

 

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: