The College of Europe has been working with the Diplomatic School of Armenia for almost 6 years now. Through a 4-year technical assistance EU-funded project and 2 other short-term projects, the Diplomatic School has received support in developing its teaching and institutional capacity.
The longer project – “Support to Capacity and Institution Building of the Diplomatic School in Armenia” – was awarded to a consortium led by the College of Europe and began in May 2013 with an original duration of 2 years; it was later extended for another 2 years and came to an end only recently in April 2017.
The Development Office is proud of its cooperation with the School and the activities carried out in the framework of the project. An important aspect was the support to the curriculum of the programme in international relations and diplomacy. This programme was followed by an average of 27 students a year. International lecturers were sent to Yerevan to teach the various modules of the course. Additionally, some of these also trained mid-career diplomats and officials on skills such as political analysis, negotiations, and communication.
Exposure activities were a key aspect of the project. The College of Europe organised four study visits for the students and staff of the School (in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2017). Each study visit took the students to both Brussels and Vienna to meet with officials of the EU institutions, NATO, and international organizations. Moreover, internships for selected students were arranged in 2014, 2015, and 2016. The interns were assigned to Armenian missions in Strasbourg, Vienna, Geneva and Brussels.
The College also helped organise an international conference on Digital Diplomacy in May 2015. This attracted speakers and participants from all over the world. Other events organised were alumni evenings with key-note speeches.
Finally, through the project, the College of Europe supported the development of the library of the School and also arranged networking missions for the School’s Director.
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