Partners

College of Europe

Founded in 1949 in Bruges as the world's first university institute of post-graduate studies and training in European affairs, the College of Europe enjoys a longstanding experience in preparing individuals for national, European and international careers. In 1992, an additional campus was opened in Natolin (Warsaw) in view of the EU's Eastern enlargements. The College of Europe faculty consists of a highly international body of more than 200 visiting professors, embracing both academics and practitioners, across both campuses. Moreover, the College can rely on a network of more than 9000 alumni, among them more than one thousand civil servants working for the European institutions, numerous national diplomats and civil servants, many experts in international law firms, consultancies, business firms and non-governmental organisations.

As a non-profit organisation (institut d'intérêt public), the College of Europe is supported by the European Union and its Member States. To accomplish its mission of promoting the idea of Europe by providing a truly European experience, the College offers rigorous academic studies (with specialisations in EU external relations and diplomacy, European Politics and Administration, EU law, European economics and interdisciplinary studies) as well as shorter training programmes and tailor-made seminars targeted at diplomats, national and international public officials, private sector professionals and staff of civil society organisations. In response to its growing number of projects and service contracts with third parties, the College of Europe in 1996 established the Development Office as a professional interface for partners to develop and co-ordinate all projects and training services. The Development Office organises over forty professional training events per year, fully keeping to the College's tradition of anticipating new developments in European affairs, providing a unique and challenging multicultural learning environment (esprit du Collège) and striving for excellence.

Netherlands Institute of International Relations ‘Clingendael’

The Netherlands Institute of International Relations ‘Clingendael’ is a knowledge institute for international relations. It was founded in 1983 and is seated in The Hague. In a constantly changing global environment, Clingendael acts as a think tank as well as a diplomatic academy in order to identify and analyze emerging political and social developments for the benefit of government and the general public. Clingendael seeks to achieve this objective through research and consultancy, courses and training programmes as well as public debate. The Institute hosts four thematic programmes: Diplomatic Studies, European Studies, Security and Conflict, and International Energy. Clingendael is a non-profit foundation established under Dutch law, financed by its own international activities and subsidies from the Dutch Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defence. The Institute is, however, an autonomous organisation.

Every year over 300 foreign diplomats from Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa receive their training at the Institute. The added value of Clingendael's diplomatic training is its policy orientation and strong emphasis on interactive diplomatic training as well as skills training. In addition, Clingendael offers in cooperation with the University of Leiden an MA programme in International Relations and Diplomacy. The Institute maintains close ties with many partner organisations in Europe and worldwide. The Clingendael European Studies Programme provides topical expertise on European Union policy issues and developments. The main research topics are the political, administrative and constitutional developments of the European Union, including the rotating EU Presidency, the Union’s external relations and developments in specific policy areas such as Justice and Home Affairs, internal market, environment and climate change.

Diplomatic Academy of Vienna

The Diplomatic Academy of Vienna, founded in 1754 by Empress Maria Theresa, is today a graduate school for International and European Studies which prepares students from all around the world for international careers by equipping them with the academic qualifications and skills necessary for many international professions. The main areas of studies are political science and international relations, international economics, international law, European law and contemporary history. Up to one third of its graduates joins the diplomatic service of their countries, whilst others enter careers in the European Union, the United Nations, non-governmental organisations, public administration or the private sector. The Diplomatic Academy maintains close ties with many partner organisations worldwide and is able to draw on a vast pool of top-level academics. Additionally, its intimate links with the Austrian Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the many international organisations headquartered in Vienna enables it to draw upon the expertise of prominent practitioners and experts from the world of international relations.

In addition to its Diploma and Maters’ programmes, the Diplomatic Academy organizes a wide range of tailor-made seminars on European and international questions for employees in national public sectors, international organizations and EU institutions. It has developed special expertise in conducting Summer Schools and training programmes for young public officials from Central, Eastern and Southeast Europe, Central Asia, Africa, Caribbean and Pacific Island states. Personal skills training is well to the fore with interactive seminars on project management, dealing with the media, crisis management, negotiation techniques, protocol and etiquette, etc. The Diplomatic Academy of Vienna also provides consultancy services to governments that wish to establish their own diplomatic training institutes.

Centre for Political and Diplomatic Studies (CPDS)

The Centre for Political and Diplomatic Studies (CPDS) in Oxford was created in 1993 to design and conduct programmes of professional, political and international studies, originally for officials and elected politicians from states developing the institutions of democracy and good governance. Since then CPDS has expanded to develop for the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Department for International Development and British Council courses of professional training in international relations, diplomatic practice, policy and political work, negotiation, management, media and language skills for British and overseas government officials. CPDS is an independent institution with a small core group of academic, political and administrative specialists who co-ordinate the contributions to its programmes of a large number of experts and practitioners from a wide variety of academic, professional, international and EU institutions. CPDS has established a sound track record of project analysis, innovative programme design, and meticulous organisation and conduct of study visits.

CPDS courses in European Union affairs are funded by the British and other Member State governments and by the European Commission. Among many other projects, CPDS conducted the training for Chairs of Working Groups and National Delegates from all government ministries in preparation for the UK Presidency of the EU in 2005, for the Finnish Presidency in 2006, for the Slovenian Presidency in 2008, for the Czech and Swedish Presidencies in 2009, and assisted the government of Spain in their preparation for the Presidency in 2010. Courses in political analysis, reporting and briefing, networking and influencing, and mediation are conducted for officials of the European Commission.