C8620 - WORKSHOP ON DIPLOMATIC PRACTICE IN THE XXI CENTURY

Learning outcomes

The course aims at providing students with a solid knowledge of the praxis at work in diplomacy, which combines formal and informal procedures of negotiations and networking. Thanks to a historical and global approach, students will learn to locate all diplomatic processes on their proper space and time and, by way of the focus on the interaction between diplomacy and economics, they will consolidate their knowledge on patterns of negotiations concerning inter-disciplinary sectors.

Course contents

The course is delivered through lectures and provides an overview of the functions of a professional diplomat, presenting a wide range of real-world scenarios relevant to the profession.

 

1.The evolution of the diplomat’s role – how events such as the fall of the Berlin Wall and globalization have transformed diplomatic dynamics and responsibilities;

2.Bilateral relations: building privileged partnerships – the long road of inter-state relations, official visits, and the complex network of connections between institutions, leaders, and individuals;

3.The pathologies in the international relations and the resolution of disputes; when a diplomatic crisis freezes bilateral relations: the case of the Marò, a four-year episode that significantly impacted relations between Italy and India during India’s emergence as a global power;

4.Multilateralism today – what remains of the United Nations and the efforts to reform the Security Council; regional groupings of states and the evolving role of diplomacy in an increasingly multipolar world;

5.Conflict, prevention, and the fragmented world we inhabit – diplomacy in times of war, the many ongoing conflicts, including lesser-known so-called low-intensity ones;

6.Consular functions – serving Italians abroad and beyond, through the protection and promotion of Italian communities overseas;

7.Soft power, cultural diplomacy, and country promotion as strategic tools of foreign policy;

8.Economic diplomacy – the evolving role of public support in helping Italian businesses expand internationally: guiding companies towards new markets, strengthening their global reach, and the methods and tools available; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs acting as an "agency" for the Country  promotion , including the concept of nation branding and the role of the diplomatic network in achieving it;

9.Economic diplomacy and global trade turbulences. The path from export to internationalization, a journey many companies still need to embark upon, while others work to consolidate their global presence.

10Looking ahead – the major challenges that lie before us and the role of the professional diplomat in the years to come.

 

Students with DSA or temporary or permanent disabilities: It is recommended to contact the responsible University office in good time (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it): it will be their responsibility to propose any adaptations to the students concerned, which must however be submitted, with a 15-day notice, to the approval of the teacher, who will evaluate the opportunity also in relation to the educational objectives of the course

Readings/Bibliography

Amos Oz, The reckoning is not over yet, 2019

Lorenzo Angeloni, The Perfect crises, 2009, Amazon/Kindle

Anne Applebaum, Autocracy Inc. Penguin, 2024

Teaching methods

Lectures and in-class presentations.

Assessment methods

Short practical exercises during lessons (for verification only);

Final written essay (max 2.500/3000 words) on a political or economic topic of international current affairs.

For non attending students:
Written exam on the three texts listed above.

Office hours

See the website of Enzo Angeloni