XIII Summer School for Young Diplomats: The Stepping Stone into the World of Diplomacy

When 47 young diplomats and 37 prominent speakers took the online stage of the XIII Summer School for Young Diplomats “Gavro Vuković” it was clear that this will be an extraordinary event in these changeable times. The first online edition of Summer School, a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, managed to gather bright young minds from all corners of the world and facilitate lively discussions about some of the most pressing issues the world of diplomacy is facing right now.

If 2020 has taught us anything, it would be that despite the problems and inconveniences caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a need to stay connected, support and help one another. The XIII Summer School for Young Diplomats “Gavro Vuković” strived to adjust in the best way possible to the novel situation. In doing so this event showed just how important is the cooperation among the parties involved. This year, the Summer School has brought together young diplomats from all over the world, prominent academics, ambassadors and politicians who were willing to discuss the complex issues of contemporary international affairs in an open and highly qualified way.

Summer School for Young Diplomats Encourages Cooperation and Building Trust

The Summer School for Young Diplomats “Gavro Vuković” is one of the most successful and globally recognized projects of the Montenegrin Foreign Affairs Ministry and its Diplomatic Academy. This is a unique programme that promotes intercultural awareness and contributes to building trust and understanding among young diplomats from all over the world.

When inaugurated in 2008, the School was intended to bring together the young diplomats from the region of the Western Balkans. However, it soon outgrew the intended purpose and, during the course of its work, the School gathered more than 500 young diplomats from 77 countries and 6 continents.

Over the years, the School has not only attracted a considerable number of young diplomats and lecturers from all corners of the world but has indeed managed to spark long-lasting connections and create an alumni network that is of vital significance. To support the young diplomats, especially during trying times like these, this year’s edition of the Summer School brought an additional value – a modern and highly innovative web portal. The idea behind creating the portal was to advance the alumni network, by creating a ‘live’ database of all alumni (563) and lecturers (185), thus enabling networking and cooperation beyond the duration of Summer School. Since the web portal went live, it has attracted a vast number of alumni from all over the world.

The Summer School for Young Diplomats, along with the web platform, gives an opportunity for the promotion of Montenegro and connecting diplomats with their colleagues from different countries, in an environment that encourages the exchange of opinions on current topics in the field of international relations.

Diplomacy for a Cohesive and Sustainable World

Participants from 28 countries gathered together this year to discuss the importance of cooperation and the significance of diplomacy in building a cohesive and sustainable world, while highlighting the opportunity for young diplomats to network, and get acquainted with innovative online communication methods and tools to stay connected and shape the future. Participants.

Diplomacy and international cooperation, especially in times like these, are essential should we want to achieve a cohesive and sustainable world. As Srđan Darmanović, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro said:

“The pandemic has revealed the shortcomings of political, health and security systems. But it’s the international cooperation that makes us hopeful that the world can be a better place […] This year [The Summer School for Young Diplomats] offers new opportunities and chances for all of us to reflect whether and to what extent and how prepared we are for the emerging circumstances and the future challenges.”

Over the course of the School, the significance of international cooperation was further explored. This is very important if we bear in mind that the first two decades of the 21st century have been filled with numerous crises, two of which have been global – the migrant crisis and the pandemic of the Covid 19.  In time of recurring crisis, the role of diplomacy is particularly important, thus the founder of the Summer School for Young Diplomats Gavro Vuković, and former Foreign Minister of Montenegro Milan Roćen, reminded participants that:

“We can’t find national solutions for global challenges. We must understand that the global solution has to be found and that solidarity is what we need on the global level.”

Young Diplomats: Carriers of the Torch of the Future

With only 10 years left to achieve 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, as the only truly global universal plan that connects all countries and citizens around the world, UNDP Resident Representative to Montenegro Daniela Gasparikova, reminded the young diplomats that the time to act is now and that they should strive to ignite the change with a more determined resolution and act for the better tomorrow of our world. Ms Gasparikova addressed the young diplomats as the participants of the Summer School with the hope that, even though the school has been held online, they will manage to create bonds and the networks:

“You are the ambassadors of the better tomorrow. The ones who hopefully will allow your countries to build better and to build more sustainably in going forward. Your mission will be to put people and the planet at the centre and the heart of your diplomatic efforts and development cooperation. You are the custodians of our future, and I trust you will strive to build a more cohesive and more peaceful society.”

This year, the young diplomats were engaged in the live online presentations, panel discussions, and workshops. Among the speakers were professors and lecturers from the world’s most prestigious universities and schools like Boston University, John Hopkins University, Oxford University, The London School of Economics and Political Science, Leiden University, University of South Australia, Lund University, Diplo Foundation. In addition to prominent academic professors, diplomats from Montenegro, Germany, China, Russia, the United States, Great Britain, Finland, and New Zealand spoke to the participants. Finally, there were politicians and analysts from Montenegro and the world, representatives of the United Nations, the European Union, NATO, representatives of civil society (Global Citizen) and media representatives (New York Times). Speakers.

The four cross-cutting topics covered in this year’s edition of the Summer School were: the need for global cooperation with a specific focus on EU and Euro Atlantic integration, new digital technologies and the new generations which are emerging and the new skills the young diplomats will need to acquire.

During the sessions, participants had an opportunity to get acquainted with rapid climate changes and different cultural patterns that can be found in international relations, which are often the subject of misunderstanding, the role and importance of the civil sector, and social activism. Participants also had a chance to become more familiar with the role of the United Nations and the goals of sustainable development, as well as innovations in the field of sustainable development and human rights. Special attention was paid to Montenegro’s path to EU, EU enlargement policy, but also to the issues that Europe and the European Union will face after the COVID-19 pandemic and Brexit, as well as the US elections and the impact of those elections both globally and in the Western Balkans. Diplomacy in the era of the IV technological revolution attracted the attention of the participants, especially if we keep in mind that the current pandemic additionally encouraged digital transformation. Agenda.

Takeaway? Stay Connected, Shape the Future

Summer School for Young Diplomats “Gavro Vuković” proved itself to be an invaluable opportunity to connect and empower young diplomats as a platform where they can gain further insight into the world of foreign affairs from both experienced diplomats and prominent academic figures, even if learning at the distance. The School and the web portal (youngdiplomats.me) provide an important space for all alumni to make connections and cooperate with the future diplomats who will, in the years to come, be responsible for relations and cooperation between the countries.

As one of the participants stated:

”Summer School for Young Diplomats is a brilliant event, one which brings together young diplomats, young leaders from all over the world in order to discuss global matters. It is not just a good opportunity to networking with colleagues from overseas, but it actually serves as a platform where one can gain insights international affairs from experience diplomats and prominent academic figures”

One can proudly say that this year’s lecturers encouraged a new generation of diplomats to think and seek the answers necessary to face the challenges of the future.

Stay tuned! In the articles to come, we’ll share in more detail particulars on the topics which were discussed and the main messages the speakers shared with the young diplomats this year.