Reviews

Useful and thorough insight to contemporary diplomacy for practitioners of this discipline. The course conveys opportune reflections on the evolution of diplomatic tasks and encourage new approaches to diplomacy through intense feedback and benchmarking.

With the advent of globalisation, diplomacy has transformed both in content and nature. Participating in this course has provided greater insight as it relates to the changes in international affairs as a result of globalisation, and how foreign ministries have had to adapt to such changes. My participation in the course has also broadened my knowledge and enhanced my ability to reason.

The course offered an opportunity to understand the impact of globalization in diplomacy and in facilitating greater use of information and communication technology and better access to information by the public, who want to have a say in diplomacy. I particularly liked the area of Public Diplomacy and the importance of understanding the sources, influence and contribution of the public in diplomacy, and calls for the consideration of their views in making policies and decisions in diplomacy.

The Advanced Diploma in Internet Governance is ideally suited for busy professionals who need to get a good grasp of the core Internet technical infrastructure and how it relates to global public policy issues. The course material is constantly updated by experts to reflect the latest developments of this fast-paced environment and this leads to extremely interesting and stimulating discussions with fellow students and lecturers. The programme challenges your ideas and broadens your perspectives in how the Internet is really governed.

In obtaining the Advanced Diploma in Internet Governance, I took three online courses at DiploFoundation, i.e., Introduction to Internet Governance, E-Diplomacy, and Internet Technology and Policy. As a mid-level diplomat exposed mainly to traditional diplomatic concerns, the program provided comprehensive working knowledge on the technical and policy aspects of the international governance of the Internet. The courses provided an overview of Internet Governance, probed the challenges and opportunities faced by diplomatic actors in the Internet Age, and comprehensively tackled the main online technologies and their nexus with key Internet principles. I was particularly impressed with the in-depth knowledge and diverse backgrounds of the lecturers and my classmates. The online discussions were stimulating and cutting-edge. This is an excellent program for those who wish to understand and help shape the ever-expanding online world.

This programme enabled me to understand the important dimension which Cyberspace and online communications bring to foreign policy and national, regional and global public policy. From the perspective of a participant from a developing country, the online courses help to bridge the knowledge gap by creating a unique experience for the learner who is able to grasp so much from the shared experiences and perspectives of lecturers and colleagues from across the world. Opportunities for applied knowledge also enable participants to integrate core skills and build expertise which they can rapidly put into practice.

DiploFoundation's course on AI mapped the different challenges AI entails in fundamental rights, the socio-economic and geopolitical fields. The structured discussions among the participants helped consider inclusive governance and policy solutions. This online course was a very interesting and useful experience.

It goes without saying that the tutors are so exceptional and very helpful. From the course, I enjoyed the modules on AI and Human Rights as well as AI and Cybersecurity. Actually, I have already begun applying the knowledge acquired as evidenced in our previous #CybesecurityInAI tweet chat held by Cyber Law Initiative with Harvard Cyber Law Clinic.

I can say I have learnt a huge amount, not just from the lecture texts and readings but also from all the participants. As an introduction to AI, this course was excellent. I signed up for the course as it's an area on which I knew almost nothing. I started working when we were still using manual typewriters, carbon paper and telex machines and cypher was something I tapped out with one-time codes on a typewriter look-alike at 15 words a minute (now in the Bletchley Park museum) so the tech behind computers and AI is baffling to me. 

The course provided me with a good overview of artificial intelligence and internet governance issues. I especially enjoyed the fact that all issues were looked at from different, often contrasting, perspectives, including ethics, human rights, security, governance, and technology perspectives.

E-learning with DiploFoundation was a great experience. The innovative online sessions and contact with other students really helped to gain a wide view on the topics discussed. Despite having practised bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, I found the course informative and focussed, such as the benefits and drawbacks of both soft and hard power. This in particular proved useful in completing my understanding of how diplomacy can work at different levels.

After more than ten years immersed in the multilateral side of the practice of diplomacy and international relations, the Bilateral Diplomacy Course provided me with an invaluable complement to my experience. Though challenging and intense, Ambassador Rana guided us in a manner that allowed us to exchange and discuss the topics and generate ideas, as well as to apply what was learnt to our real-life situations. I was particularly drawn to the myriad theories and aspects of cultural diplomacy, and the role it plays in the successful practice of diplomacy and negotiations, which provided me with new skills that are useful to my work.

The course enabled me widen my understanding of different approaches to capacity development. I have been able to review our organizational understanding of capacity development within the context of our beneficiaries and target groups. Most importantly, applying the questions - why capacity development and for whom - has enabled my team and I to review how we view capacity development and reflect on areas of improvement, especially the need to carry out organizational capacity assessments right at the beginning of a program as opposed to mid-way or towards the end.

The course helped me to integrate a lot of knowledge I had gathered over the years into a more coherent framework. This framework was supported by the design of the course which followed a strict logical and temporal pattern, coupled with reflection on one’s own work.

I gained theoretical knowledge of the different stages of a capacity development initiative, such as: assessing capacities at an early stage, assessing change readiness, and mapping a change process based on a theory of change. I knew the importance of these steps, however, I hadn't yet performed them in a coherent, sequential, and systematic way, which allowed for adaptation to any given circumstance.

The most practical learning for me is that capacity development should provide an opportunity for people to engage. This same principle was evident in the course and I came out learning more than in a course where I would have read materials, but not engage and be engaged.

The Diplo Capacity Development course is the first e-learning that really convinced me! I’ve got the information I expected and the exchanges and debates with the team and other participants were really useful, full of meaning and instructive. What I really appreciate is the quality of the written materials and references for additional documentation. I can use all this information for direct inputs in my work and field missions.

The Capacity Development course was a great incentive for my career. I was looking for a course with practical examples, concrete explanations and interaction with people with different experience and backgrounds. I got this and more. From the practical point, the course pace fit perfectly in my busy schedule. It offered extremely interesting reading materials, a dedicated and professional group of mentors, updated case studies in accordance with challenges we find in real life situations. I particularly liked the explanation on Theories of Changes, a key feature that played a big role for my interviews for the new role I am responsible for now. I am applying the learning, in the hope to become a better humanitarian professional.

This online course is a good combination of different methods including reading the simple but good-quality materials with further references, the chat room session to reflect and share practical examples, and explanation of topics by experienced facilitators and moderators. I really learned a lot from the course starting from assessment of the capacity needs until measuring the results of the CD interventions. The course helped me to consolidate my existing knowledge on CD. I will include some of the things I learned from the course into my work where possible such as designing of CD interventions (setting goals, objectives and indictors), choosing a good fit of interventions and measuring the results of CD.

A relevant and applicable look at cybersecurity, taking into account the different aspects of the subject matter. The intuitive e-learning environment allows for informative discussion and interaction between participants and instructors alike. Also, the global composition of both the participants and instructors allows one to gain a useful insight into diverse experiences and views of cybersecurity.

Coming from a small state with limited resources constraints, training of diplomat designates becomes a difficult task. DiploFoundation, in this regard, has provided me with the golden opportunity for which I have been yearning for as a Foreign Service Officer to further my education. I have also had the opportunity of interacting with colleagues in the global classroom, thereby making the teaching methodology within reach. The subject, Diplomacy of Small States, has further strengthened my knowledge and belief that regardless of constraints, some small states have shown their ability to project formidable foreign policy initiatives. The course has to a large extent helped to broaden my horizon at a global level, thanks to the weekly assignments from colleagues, analysing the different perspectives on how small states practice their diplomacy. I therefore, wish to encourage more  Diplomats from emerging economies to capture this opportunity from DiploFoundation in their effort to strengthen their diplomatic skills.

The Diplomacy of Small States course was an eye opener for me, especially as a government official from a small island state (Fiji). The online lectures, information sharing with other students and lecturers and other resources provided by DiploFoundation were rich, focused on the areas of interest to me and value adding on many dimensions, as we draw parallels to world events, not only of the past but those actually happening on the ground. As a diplomat, it has broadened my knowledge on how small states should be strategically leveraging themselves as important actors in international diplomacy and that size does not necessarily determine the boundaries of outreach and influence in 21st century diplomacy.

The content provoked the essential strategic thinking required to maximize opportunities for small states in pursuing diplomatic relations across countries and organisations. Coming from a small developing country, this course has provided me with the necessary tools to aid in the execution of my duties.

As a diplomat of a small state, operating in a dynamic and rapidly changing international environment, I must sharpen my skills and be equipped with the right tools in order to be successful. I particularly enjoyed the rich, constructive exchange of views/ideas among participants. The opportunity to undertake a case study on one small state was truly enlightening. The bonus was the flexibility of studying at my own convenience from the comfort of my home or office and receiving certification, without leaving my country.

I would recommend Diplomatic Law: Privileges and Immunities to anyone looking for a deeper understanding of privileges and immunities. It's not just a course for practitioners but one which could benefit anyone from government employees, police officers, lawyers, employees of international organizations and even students. The lecturer was extremely knowlegeable and the administrator was extremely helpful and attentive. I had the opportunity to interact with other practitioners in the field from around the world and even persons not working in the field of diplomacy.  It was a tremendous experience, that I benefited from greatly!

I was particularly impressed by the lecture texts. They are thought provoking, insightful and of the highest quality. My knowledge and ability to apply diplomatic law has been immeasurably boosted.

A practical approach to the most relevant matters of immunities and privileges as part of Diplomatic Law. It is a useful tool to ensure the applicability of the regulations from a functional approach. I recommend it for everyone involved in diplomatic and public international legal activities.

Not only did I gain theoretical knowledge on the subject, but my practical skills regarding the implementation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961) have tremendously expanded. I would highly recommend this course to any professionals who wish to gain insight into the subject and benefit, the way I have, from the interactive approach, the quality of the provided materials and the excellent skills of the lecturers.

Diplomatic Theory and Practice is an insightful and critical introduction to the main historical and current aspects of diplomacy. Continuous interaction with peers from all over the world and devoted management by professors and DiploFoundation staff make you forget it is an online course. I definitely recommend it to newcomers to diplomacy like me.

Diplo's Diplomatic Theory and Practice course is truly a MUST for any newcomer or professional diplomat who is in need of polishing or refreshing their knowledge on the basics of diplomacy in the modern world. Personally, I found the course of great benefit because it gave me the opportunity to apply theory to reality by exploring how different aspects of diplomacy are practiced on a daily basis and learning to recognize such theories at first glance. It is indeed one of the most insightful, dynamic and interactive courses I have ever taken, a real eye opener.

Diplomatic Theory and Practice course has been a wonderful surprise. The main lecture was enormously useful to my academic and personal knowledge in diplomacy. What I like the most was that I got the great opportunity to learn from all my course mates' own “diplomatic” experiences. Truly thankful to course coordinators for their patience during the course. A really challenging course and worth every single day of it!

This course provided me with an avenue to share knowledge on diplomacy and analysis on current international relations events. I realized that I really missed the interactive and stimulating discussions of my class when new developments in the planned U.S – North Korea summit arose, and I was eager to share my thoughts. As a lecturer of diplomacy, the class is significantly helping in my quest of shaping the future generation of Nigerian diplomats.

The most useful aspect of the course on E-Diplomacy is the awareness of the importance of e-tools in the work of a diplomat and a government agency. If diplomacy actors would be more convinced of the benefits of social media and e-tools in their everyday work life would be much easier. The feedback from the organizers of the course as well as from the participants was fully enriching. The elaboration of a strategy of social media with a practical purpose made the course more grounded and real.

The DiploFoundation platform for online learning is the best I have experienced. The hypertext function allows you to have a discussion as if you were actually in a classroom, making learning from other participants easy and fruitful.

E-diplomacy breaks new ground in addressing the foremost challenges facing international relations in the digital era. A focused and practice-oriented online tuition programme, enriched through the wealth of personal knowledge and experiences of the participating professionals from such a diverse multicultural background, the course provides an overarching insight into the organisation of the communication functions of 21st Century diplomacy.

The course’s workload fit well into my busy schedule, and I was able to put to use almost immediately the new skills and knowledge I acquired. Weekly lectures are extremely informative and present a wealth of current knowledge about e-diplomacy. The corresponding weekly assignments allow students the opportunity to demonstrate an understanding of the knowledge acquired and we are strongly encouraged to apply that knowledge as it relates to our own work experiences. What’s great about this programme is that you can do the learning on your own time, but also have a weekly check-in with other students that come from all over the world! 

I believe that we have a social responsibility in sharing what we know for a better public health. The course helped me not only to have new knowledge and to expand my personal networks, but also to reflect on how important the ICTs are for diplomacy, in particular in Global Health Diplomacy, on this Information Society.

A great opportunity to explore different tools of social media in a safe environment. At the same time, it allows you to participate actively with people around the world; this offers you a rich and diverse insight of their own work as diplomats from other countries, members of non-profit organizations… It teaches you a new way of including “diplomacy” in the 21st century by using new and up-to-date technologies that allows us to reach our diaspora and communicate safely and more efficiently. It is very dynamic, interactive and fun!

It was an awesome, eye-opening, interesting, and very formative experience that helped to broaden my perspective on the complex scenario of economic diplomacy in our increasingly changing world. It gives you an accurate and updated view, as well as the tools you need to face the many challenges of economic diplomacy in the 21st century.

Both professionally and personally, I now have a broader understanding of the humanitarian world, the fundamental laws and principles, and the different actors who are part of it. This has expanded my thinking about possible partnerships and alliances in order to strengthen my work in the Federation, and the different aspects and steps I need to consider in order to make such partnerships happen. Read an interview with Margarita on Diplo’s blog.

The most valuable part of the course was learning from the contributions of other students. The classroom was filled with people from all over the world with tangible experience in responding to disasters, armed conflict, health issues, and development and emergency situations. Their experiences highlighted where humanitarian diplomacy and advocacy works in reality, and where the theory needs to be re-worked or re-conceptualised to fit the real-world. Read an interview with Richard on Diplo’s blog.

This course offers skills development in advocacy, negotiation, communication, formal agreements, and other measures through sharing experiences with students around the world and with distinguished professors. It was a wonderful course, I have gained a lot of experience, and now I use it in my field.

The course gave me immersive, critical, and dynamic skills best suited to my profession whilst still working for my organisation. I have gained incredible confidence and exposure. I had the best experience with lectures and students from the various parts of the world with different backgrounds. It was very easy to learn as I found everything in one place.

What was most valuable and had a direct impact on my work was the frequent and direct exchange with several very experienced Humanitarian Diplomacy practitioners – both through the weekly online discussion sessions and through an individually assigned tutor during the research phase. I really got a lot of valuable input and advice out of that. Most of all, learning was interesting and enjoyable because of all that interaction.

Quelle expérience merveilleuse que le cours de diplomatie humanitaire. L'agencement des différentes sessions et programmes nous permet une compréhension totale des différentes étapes telles que la négociation, la médiation, et la collaboration avec les populations en situation de détresse. Pour une personne voulant intégrer le système des N.U, ce cours est un tremplin pour une bonne maîtrise de l'action humanitaire. On y apprend toute une panoplie de thèmes des principes humanitaires, du protocole de la Fédération Internationale de la Croix Rouge en passant par les acteurs humanitaires. J'y ai acquis des connaissances en diplomatie humanitaire et en négociation sans oublier mes nouveaux amis dans le monde entier. Le cours est certes en anglais mais avec un niveau de langue accessible à tous.

It was great to work together with the course lecturers and the participants in the course, as they all had unique contributions to make, and I learned from all of them. The course material is rich, and can benefit people with varied levels of professional experience and backgrounds. I am already putting what I learned at good use, and hope I will have more opportunities to use it in the coming years.

As a non-Red Cross participant, this course helped me to understand the humanitarian world; I learned technical skills in practicing humanitarian diplomacy theories/principles in different situations. I found the course of great benefit because it developed research skills and other knowledge/skills required in the workplace. The course also opened doors for networking with experienced humanitarian diplomacy practitioners representing the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement and NGOs.

This course has helped me to understand the main technical and policy aspects of the Internet, which enabled me to continue my education in the digital sphere at the graduate programme in which I am enrolled. The comprehensive course materials provided by DiploFoundation ensured that my perspective on these issues is current and multifaceted.

Diplo's Internet governance course is a great initiation to bridging the conversation of state and non-state actors on a daily basis, besides the formal IG forums or conferences, providing a much-needed opportunity to have multistakeholder discussion. I am participating in the Master program of Contemporary Diplomacy (Internet Governance), and I believe this course is not only for academic achievement purposes, but also for supporting and enriching the development of IG with many inputs, ideas, insights, also critiques from diverse actors of government, civil society, technical experts, and academics at the same time.

The course takes a unique approach to modern digital diplomacy. As an emerging field, the practical, thorough, in-depth course materials encourage one’s active participation and interest in diplomacy. The currency of real world examples plus an excellent network of contacts from the diplomatic, international fora, governments, telecommunication to the business communities has made this course very engaging and rewarding!

One of the most engaging and interactive online courses I have ever taken. I learned a lot from the cross-cutting expertise and perspectives of the professor and co-participants from the public and private sectors. As a diplomat immersed in more traditional concerns, the course was eye-opening. Internet governance and digital policy are increasingly important 21st century concerns. I highly recommend the course to anyone desiring to have a meaningful overview of the multidimensional issues involved, with a view to subsequently deepening knowledge or making concrete contributions in the international, regional or local arena.

I found many benefits in the Internet Governance course. But the two major ones which stood out in the training are, appreciating the exposure data gets online (data security), and the importance of ensuring that everyone participates in policy work to improve the Internet experience for everyone.

The Introduction to Internet Governance class gave me a perfect overview over Internet governance history, processes, organisations, and the current topics.

Diplo's Language and Diplomacy course explores the fascinating world of intricate word plays underlying current day diplomacy. The content is stimulating and thought-provoking, not in the least due to the outstanding contributions of Dr Biljana Scott. I gained a deeper understanding of language’s complexity and creativity, and a greater appreciation of its limitations and susceptibility to misuse. I believe this course will benefit those wishing to engage in diplomacy or keen to unravel the twists and turns of spin doctors.

I highly recommend this dynamic and thought-provoking course for all diplomats who wish to improve their communication skills, both as speakers/writers and listeners. Through Language and Diplomacy, Dr. Biljana Scott shares excellent tools to achieve our goals, not only by expressing what we want to say (and knowing what need not be said), but also by having a better understanding of the other party’s intention through their utterances. A true key to mastering the art of diplomacy!

This course is very important for any diplomat: from negotiating to public speaking, listening, and skills needed for press conferences, the course covers all the essentials needed to become a formidable diplomat. Skills learnt in this course have helped me in my everyday professional work and made me skilful at diplomatic communications.

This creative course gave me the opportunity to think again about some basic concepts which are vital for diplomacy, such as: the relevance of framing an argument; language as action; construction of a narrative, and the power of persuasion. Moreover, we had fruitful interactive sessions where we discussed thought-provoking questions, among others: Should diplomacy be judged by its management of ambiguities or for its capacity to deliver results? How can we deal with, and understand, the multiple possible meanings of the unsaid?

The Master/PGD in Contemporary Diplomacy allowed me to increase my knowledge and skills at a tremendous speed and depth, while remaining in and performing stronger in my job. I was very impressed by the professional support provided by the professors and fellow students allowing for a total immersion in all aspects regarding contemporary diplomacy from different global perspectives. This programme is truly a valuable experience that provides critical skills and knowledge in a motivating environment.

I was interested in the deeper intricacies of diplomacy in the 21st century, given the major tectonic shifts in today's geopolitics. The Master in Contemporary Diplomacy programme delivered by providing us with a more holistic approach which featured the mainstream key players perspective as well as the often 'silent' dimension of small states. The programme exceeded my expectations... it pushed our traditional boundaries to expand our body of knowledge beyond our comfort zones.
Read an interview with Setaita on Diplo's blog.

The Master in Contemporary Diplomacy with a specialisation in Internet Governance provides the ideal frame for my disparate pieces of knowledge about the Internet. The wide variety of courses to choose from for the online learning sessions meant that I could tailor the programme to advance my Internet studies while honing my diplomatic skills to match.
Read an interview with Kevon on Diplo's blog.

The IG route in the MA Contemporary Diplomacy Programme has enabled me to situate the focus of my work on Internet Governance in Africa in a space that is directly relevant to the mandate of the NEPAD Agency. The Programme is highly interactive and provides opportunities to shape one’s learning by blending personal experiences with the experiences of other participants. I have found immense value in being able to bring together the two worlds of Internet Governance and Diplomacy.

Diplo’s Master of Contemporary Diplomacy is dynamic, interactive, and provides a good basis for understanding today’s globalised and interconnected society. The three main highlights for me were: (i) the wealth of knowledge divulged by the experienced instructors in the field of diplomacy; (ii) the detailed, structured and collaborative nature of the course materials and discussions and (iii) the chance to share and learn from my colleagues about their nations, experiences and worldviews. Through this course, I have gained a newfound confidence and worldview of the role of Small Pacific Islands in the diplomatic arena.

Following 10 years of humanitarian work, the Postgraduate Degree in Contemporary Diplomacy proved a valuable academic complement to my professional experience and proved helpful in facilitating access to increasingly senior leadership positions.

The course on Multilateral Diplomacy was comprehensive, insightful and innovative. The issues covered were timely and relevant, and the online chat sessions allowed for knowledge sharing by a wide cross-section of officials, including the facilitators working in the field.

I have gained a wealth of knowledge in this field and I have enhanced my ability to think critically. I particularly gained knowledge and insight into the methods of multilateral diplomacy, as well as the current transformations affecting the multilateral system. The weekly assignments where challenging and got me into actively researching and reading. Our lecturers guided me in a manner that allowed me to exchange and discuss my point of view and provided me with comments to my assignments that helped me improve my writing skills and arguments.

This course is an intriguing eye-opener to the UN system. I found most interesting the UN decision making process and the traditional as well as emerging techniques of building support in the multilateral fora. I am now more confident and eager to embrace challenges to develop my career.

Multilateral Diplomacy is an in-depth course on a wide spectrum of aspects of such diplomatic sphere, ranging from its history to its actors, rules, methods or processes. Focusing on the United Nations and their main organs as examples (but not only), the course covers a comprehensive analysis of all these issues through the study of actual UN documents, and through discussions about ongoing debates on new developments and reforms. A balanced combination of practical and academic perspectives, and constant interaction with peers and devoted and encouraging lecturers from both fields, make this course really useful both for practicing diplomats and students coming from other backgrounds, like me.

One of the focus areas of the course which I appreciated very much is the power of reframing as a very productive tool to shift or re-adjust a non-working strategy.

From the negotiation skills course, I learnt that everyone is a negotiator at one time or another. However, when one engages in diplomacy to advance education, health, Internet governance and other sectors, distinctive types of negotiations as well as certain specifics must be adhered to for the process to be successful. This course helps in understanding these specifics.

It was my first time studying about negotiations and the course really provided the main concepts and a solid foundation. Each unit is very well structured and they contain very interesting reading suggestions to deepen learning into each topic. I really enjoyed the Negotiation Skills course.

The greatest virtue that I found in the course is its teaching methodology, which promoted a fruitful self-reflection on the role of the negotiator in relation to different negotiation techniques and tools. This self-reflection, based on past professional negotiation experiences and on the course’s activities, helped me to systematize some relevant lessons about negotiations.

I found the discussion on the role of Moderator to be especially useful. Preparing the team is as vital to the success of the meeting as is the actual moderation. It was also very helpful to move from role of participant to the role of organizer and to understand what are the elements which are vital to the success of a virtual meeting. The entire Online Meetings for Diplomacy and Global Governance course was extremely beneficial and very appropriate at this time when so many of us have been suddenly thrust into the world of virtual meetings.

This course perfectly responded to a know-how gap many of us experienced while abruptly transitioning from physical to online meetings in international Geneva. With all of our diplomatic meetings moved online, it has been great to compare different web conferencing platforms, to choose the one that best fits the needs of our meetings. I loved the hands-on approach of the course, which provided step-by-step guides on preparing and running online meetings as well as opportunities for students to test the features of different platforms and even moderate online discussions.

The course was very well designed, relevant to current times, and most importantly, easy to digest and apply. After the 5-week course, my level of awareness and confidence on how to effectively conduct and attend online meetings improved significantly. From planning, technical, and social aspects for online meetings to tips and tricks for effective moderation, I gained a great deal of new knowledge – applicable for both my professional and personal engagements.

The Public Diplomacy course was exceptional… engaging and intellectually stimulating! It was delivered with such attention to everyday applications and current affairs, that from the first day I could relate to this relatively new area of diplomacy, despite my lack of diplomatic experience. I now have a broader appreciation of the respective roles of stakeholders, within government and non-governmental. To those who have an opportunity to take this course, I would simply say, ‘seize it!’

Diplo’s Public Diplomacy Course was a great capacity building experience for me. It was intensive and very rewarding. The course design offered excellent platform where I could learn and discuss the latest developments in both theory and practice with experienced lecturers and colleagues from all around the world. Hearing perspectives from different regions provided me with valuable insights. Though I practice public diplomacy in my day-to-day work, Diplo’s course added value to my work. I strongly recommend it to both young and seasoned diplomats, for practitioners of Public Diplomacy, and also to scholars and researchers.

Diplo's Development Diplomacy 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 for anyone involved in international development, diplomats and non-diplomats alike.

…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 of 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. 

I found the Development Diplomacy 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.