Intro to Diplomacy

1. Course Description
How to become a diplomat? How to understand the functioning of foreign service? Who are the most important players in diplomacy? To what extent has diplomacy changed over the past two centuries and in what principal ways? Can one theorize diplomacy independently of
diplomatic practice? To what extent have changes in technology affected diplomatic processes?
Diplomacy is the subject of constant change. Diplomatic methods have undergone important changes since the adoption of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. The course will therefore aim at dealing with some of the main task of diplomacy – ceremonial /protocol and visits/, organization of diplomatic service, Vienna conventions on diplomatic and consular relations, information and communication, public diplomacy , negotiations, intercultural differencies etc. in order to provide benchmarks and to highlight aspects that have been noted as a part of development of diplomacy.

2. Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:
• Have a good command of presentation, communication and negotiations skills.
• Know how a diplomatic protocol functions.
• Understand important changes of diplomacy in contemporary world.
• Extract essential information from a compilation of documents.
• Play the role of diplomats who have to deal with a given issue taken from real life situation.
• Lead and engage in discussion with peers.
2/11

3. Reading Material
Required Materials
Academic:

• BARSTON, R.P. Modern Diplomacy. Longman 1988, 1997.
• BERRIDGE, G.,JAMES, A. A Dictionary of Diplomacy. Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003.
• BERRIDGE, G. Diplomacy: Theory and Practice. Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005.
• COOPER A. F., HEINE, J., THAKUR, R. The Oxford Handbook of Modern Diplomacy. Oxford University Press, 2013.
• MARSHALL, C.P. Protocol. The power of diplomacy. Harper Collins Publishers, NY, 2020.
• RIVETT R. Diplomatic Protocol. Etiquette, Statecraft and Trust. Whittles Publishing, 2018.
• Zhou J., Zhang G. A Study of Diplomatic Protocol and Etiquette, World Affairs Publishing House, 2019.
• Legal:
Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961.
Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, 1963.
Universal Declaration on Human Rights,
http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml
Recommended materials and articles will be provided by lecturer by an e-mail via NEO or distributed before/during lecture according to the course schedule.

4. Teaching methodology
The course sessions will consist of lectures followed by discussion, individual and team presentations and practical training of negotiations as well as presentation skills. Students are expected to come to class familiar with the required reading. Theory and practice of diplomacy is fully integrated into all topics of sessions. The course proceedings will also include a visit to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a guest lecture by an experienced diplomat.