B5586 - DIPLOMATIC PRACTICE IN THE XXI CENTURY

Course contents

 

Classes of module 1 and 2 will be held in an interconnected framework (e.g. contents of module 1 first lesson are linked to the first class of module 2, and so on) Module 2 is a historiographic-based course, whereas Module 1 builds on empirical analysis from current diplomatic practices. For this reason, Module 2 will take place before Module 1. In this respect, Module 2 will be held on Mondays and Module 1 on Tuesdays.
 

Module One. The course is organized in frontal lessons and offers an overview of the functions of the professional diplomat, providing a wide range of concrete situations relating to the profession.
The program is as follows:
1.The evolution of the functions of the professional diplomat (how the fall of the Wall and Globalization have changed the dynamics and tasks of the diplomat);
2.Bilateral relations: construction of privileged partnerships (the long path of relations between states, official visits, the canvas of relations between institutions, leaders and people);
3.When a dispute freezes the bilateral relationship: the case of the Italian Marines (the 4 years of an issue that marked the relationship between Italy and India, in its phase of emerging power);
4.Multilateralism today (what remains of the United Nations and the attempts to reform the Security Council; groupings between states, the role of diplomacy in a multipolar international context.
5.Conflicts, prevention, the fragmented world in which we live (diplomacy and war, the many ongoing conflicts, the lesser-known so-called low intensity ones);
6.he consular function: at the service of Italians abroad (protection of communities and valorization);
7.Economic diplomacy: the new functions of public support for internationalization
(how to accompany our companies towards new markets and expand their international dimension, methods and tools of public support, differences with the system prior to Legislative Decree 104/19)
8.Economic Diplomacy: the Farnesina as an "Agency" for the promotion of our Country. Nation Branding and integrated promotion (the Country's need for promotion and the role of the diplomatic network in satisfying it);
9.Economic diplomacy: the path from export to internationalization that many companies still have to complete and some to consolidate (the strength of exports, the opportunities to be more present in growing markets);
10.A glance to the future: the role of the professional diplomat in the years to come

Module Two

Diplomatic Practice in the XXI century
Module 2 – Roberto Ventresca
Contents: module 2 focuses on the interplay between diplomacy and international economic relations from a historiographic point of view. It covers a period that spans from the immediate aftermath of WWII to the early XXIst century. This module explores a set of case studies that pertain to the diplomatic, economic, and political transformations of the international system as it emerged since the start of the Cold War.
Classes will be organized as follows:
1. XX century diplomacy. The Origins of the Cold War and the stabilization of the post-WWII international System
2. Bilateral relations. The diplomatic dimension of post-WWII economic reconstruction in Western Europe and the evolution of East-West relations: insights from Cold War history
3. Diplomatic discords. From the 1949 Country Study in Italy to the struggle around quantitative restrictions in France, Britain, and the Organization for European Economic Cooperation (OEEC)
4. The origins of multilateralism. The UN system and its decline
5. Failed agreements. From Camp David to Oslo: the diplomatic dimension of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
6. Migrations and diplomacy: Italy’s manpower circulation across the world after WWII
7. The history of the European Economic Community (I): from the late from the late 1950s to the early 1970s: regulating liberalizations
8. The history of the European Economic Community (II): how to manage a market-oriented institution between the 1980s and the early 1990s
9. The web of international economic organization between the Cold War and the early-post Cold War era: IMF, WB, and the GATT/WTO
10. Diplomatic and economic challenges in the early XXI century: the 2008 financial crisis and its legacy

Readings/Bibliography

Module 1. The following three books are required:

James Hillman, A Terrible Love of War, 2004

Amos Oz, The reckoning is not over yet, 2019

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

Module 2: 

Suggested bibliography.
1. William Keylor, The Twentieth Century World and Beyond: An International History since 1900, Oxford-New York, Oxford University Press, 2006 [or following editions]
2. Kiran Klaus Patel, Project Europe: A History, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2020
3. Odd Arne Westad, The Cold War: A World History, New York, Basic Books, 2017
4. Alan Milward, The Reconstruction of Western Europe, 1945-51, London, Methuen, 1984
5. Adam Tooze, Crashed: How a Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World, London, Allen Lane, 2018

Teaching methods

Lectures

Assessment methods

1) Module 1: written essay maximum two pages on a topic of international current affairs to be agreed with the teacher in class . 

The exam will take place in person; sessions dates will be communicated soon.  

2)Module 2: short paper (max. 3500 words) regarding one of the topics related to the course contents.  

Criteria for evaluation

1. Active participation in class discussions

2. Ability to provide in depth-analysis of case-studies

3. Proficiency in writing in academic English

As for Module 2, the final paper must be uploaded via EOL during the exam session. This is a take-home exam.
In this respect, students must enrol in the related exam session via AlmaEsami in order to have access to EOL.

Teaching tools

ppt presentation; readings on Virtuale.   

Office hours

See the website of Enzo Angeloni

See the website of Roberto Ventresca