Sustainable development is no longer just a policy agenda – it is a survival challenge for our generation. Around the world, deepening conflicts, mounting debts, political and economic uncertainty, and record-breaking heat are pushing communities – and the planet – to their limits. Dealing with such global challenges is a blunt reminder of the need for cooperation across borders, sectors, and generations. Yet, progress on the sustainable development goals (SDGs) is slipping away, with most targets now off track unless scaled-up actions are taken.
The aftershocks of COVID-19, wars such as those in Ukraine and the Middle East, climate-driven disasters, and rising inequality are testing the limits of current aid and development systems. At the same time, they are creating new spaces for leadership, innovation, and cooperation. In this course, we will explore how fresh thinking, new skills, and smarter collaboration can help restore momentum towards the SDGs – and why your role, whether in government, civil society, or the private sector, is vital in shaping a more sustainable and equitable future.
Both diplomats and practitioners in the field are crucial in making these changes, and they need a good knowledge of what development cooperation is and how it functions, since their tasks may include supporting the formulation of policies and strategies, mobilising and allocating funds, and negotiating and monitoring development interventions.
Most diplomacy programmes cover development issues only briefly, so the knowledge and skills offered to diplomats in this field are often limited. This Sustainable Development Diplomacy online course aims to help close this gap.
The 10-week online Sustainable Development Diplomacy course explores aid assistance and sustainable development as important dimensions of international relations. It examines various types of development cooperation and trends at national, regional, and global levels from the perspectives of both donor and recipient countries.
The course covers the path to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its SDGs. Additionally, it describes new approaches that are crucial for achieving the SDGs.
The course was a fabulous journey through the complex and multifaceted territory of diplomacy and development for busy practitioners. The format offers flexibility and convenience to avoid conflict with your official duties. The course is interactive and provides tremendous latitude for engaging in hypertext dialogue with lecturers and other students from diverse countries, cultures, and experiences. The most rewarding was the ability to dissect the theory in the context of daily practice, with adept support from lecturers who have practical field experience.
– Mr Jean Ignatius, IICA Representative in Jamaica, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA)
Text – Towela Nyirenda-Jere
The course is an insightful exploration of the actors, issues, and processes that shape international development. The course is structured in a way that allows students to understand the origins and intricacies of development cooperation while having the space to discuss and debate contemporary issues. Being able to relate the underlying history and current debates to my own work was an invaluable experience. I would recommend this course to anyone involved in international development, diplomats and non-diplomats alike.
– Ms Towela Nyirenda-Jere, Programme Manager, e-Africa Programme, NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency
Text – Gonzalo Juan Carlos Canseco Gómez
I found the course challenging and inspiring in equal measure. The lectures and complementary reading material were extremely useful. Even more valuable were the lucid comments and authoritative yet flexible guidance from the course coordinator and lecturers. I would recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone wishing to deepen their understanding of the most crucial issues in today’s development agenda.
– Mr Gonzalo Juan Carlos Canseco Gómez, Director General for Foreign Policy Planning, Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Video – John Lobor
– Mr John Labor, Secretary General, South Sudan Red Cross
Describe major issues and dilemmas in international development cooperation from the perspectives of both donor (provider) and recipient (partner) countries.
Understand the strategies, forms, and principles for facilitating cooperation among partners and implementing programmes, including new current concepts, like the Nexus approach (humanitarian, development, peace nexus)
Assess development needs and cooperation opportunities.
Understand the scope of the SDGs, their progress and setbacks, and the changes and skills necessary to achieve them.
Argue for and defend the role and potential of aid assistance in today's international relations.
Understand the new skills and tools available to development professionals.
Advise on the preparation of an ‘aid request’ to be submitted to a donor, and assess cooperation proposals submitted by partner governments or local organisations.
Select the most appropriate type of funding for different activities (bilateral, multilateral, or private sources).
Support the monitoring and evaluation of development projects and recommend changes if needed
Foster the win-win aspects for both developed and developing countries.
How will you learn?
In this course, you will interact intensively in discussions with classmates and lecturers from around the world. You will receive guidance and personalised feedback on your classwork from the course team.
How long will you learn?
The course lasts 10 weeks:
1 week of course introduction and orientation to online learning
8 weeks of addressing the course topics one by one (see below for more details)
1 week for the final assignment and completing pending tasks
Principal Advisor International Humanitarian Law, New Zealand Red Cross
Who should apply
This course will be of interest to:
Practising diplomats, civil servants, and others working in international relations
Postgraduate students of diplomacy or international relations wishing to gain deeper insight through interaction with practising diplomats
Postgraduate 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 wish to improve their understanding of diplomacy-related topics
Overview
The course consists of 8 modules:
Foundation of international development cooperation: Definitions and concepts (including sustainable development, poverty alleviation, and participation); strategies, forms, principles, and tools intended to facilitate cooperation among partners and the implementation of programmes and projects.
Types, forms, and instruments of development cooperation: Definitions and characteristics of humanitarian aid, development aid, peace activities, and economic measures, including the interplay among them; analysis of the main methods for each of these forms.
The humanitarian–development–peace nexus
Multilateral development cooperation and diplomacy: Main characteristics of multilateral development cooperation; critical discussion on the future of multilateralism, and recent trends and challenges.
The role of diplomats in international development cooperation; the main principles of the 2000s; tasks and tools: The specific tasks of a diplomat in development cooperation activities; introduction to some simple tools to assess development cooperation projects and evaluate implementation; reflections on possible dilemmas between traditional diplomatic tasks and those of development cooperation activities.
The SDGs: Main principles and characteristics; progress and setbacks; planning, finance, societal changes, new skills, and UN 2.0 required to meet the SDGs.
Partner and provider country perspectives: Reasons for both partner countries and public and private providers to implement development programmes; decolonisation, positive and negative consequences of development cooperation; expectations for improvements.
The debate on development aid: The question of whether international cooperation works; the most important challenges of development cooperation and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, linked to the new skills, technologies, and approaches to tackle these issues.
The Sustainable Development Diplomacy: On the Road to Achieving the SDGs online course is based on a collaborative learning approach, involving a high level of interactionover a period of 10 weeks. Reading materials and the necessary tools for online interaction are provided in a virtual classroom.
Each week, participants study and discuss course materials and complete additional online activities. At the end of the week, participants and lecturers meet to discuss the topic of the week. For successful completion, this course requires a minimum of 5 to 7 hoursof study timeper week.
Participants who successfullycomplete the coursereceive a certificateissuedbyDiplo, which can be printed or sharedelectronically.
Prerequisites
All course applicants must have regular internet access (broadband is preferred).
Applicants for certificate courses must have:
An undergraduate university degree OR 3 years of work experience and appropriate professional qualifications in diplomacy or international relations
Sufficient English language skills to undertake postgraduate-level studies
Fees and scholarships
The fee for this course is €690.
Note: Diplo alumni can benefit from a 15% discount on the fee for this course.
A limited number of partial scholarships are available for diplomats and others working in international relations from developing countries. Discounts are available for more than one participant from the same institution.
Fill out the short form to start your application process for this course. You will receive an instruction email on how to continue.
Applying for financial assistance? Please indicate this on the application form, upload your CV, and a motivation statement that should include:
Details of your relevant professional and educational background
Reasons for your interest in the course
Why do you feel you should have the opportunity to participate in this course? How will your participation benefit you, your institution and/or your country?
Please note that financial assistance from Diplo is available only to applicants from developing countries!
Late applications will only be considered if there are spaces available in the course.
Cancellation policy
Diplo reserves the right to cancel this course if enrolment is insufficient. In case of cancellation, Diplo will notify applicants shortly after the application deadline. Applicants who have paid an application fee may apply this fee towards another course or receive a refund.
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The course was a fabulous journey through the complex and multifaceted territory of diplomacy and development for busy practitioners. The format offers flexibility and convenience to avoid conflict with your official duties. The course is interactive and provides tremendous latitude for engaging in hypertext dialogue with lecturers and other students from diverse countries, cultures, and experiences. The most rewarding was the ability to dissect the theory in the context of daily practice, with adept support from lecturers who have practical field experience.
The course is an insightful exploration of the actors, issues, and processes that shape international development. The course is structured in a way that allows students to understand the origins and intricacies of development cooperation while having the space to discuss and debate contemporary issues. Being able to relate the underlying history and current debates to my own work was an invaluable experience. I would recommend this course to anyone involved in international development, diplomats and non-diplomats alike.
I found the course challenging and inspiring in equal measure. The lectures and complementary reading material were extremely useful. Even more valuable were the lucid comments and authoritative yet flexible guidance from the course coordinator and lecturers. I would recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone wishing to deepen their understanding of the most crucial issues in today’s development agenda.
