Clingendael Academy Director Ron Ton was invited to take part in a Summer School and 15th year anniversary of the Diplomatic Academy of Montenegro in Podgorica. Together with 31 participants and other international specialists from South Eastern Europe, discussions were held on trends in diplomacy, the impact on a new skill set for diplomats and the consequences for diplomatic training. Many interesting trends were discussed, such as the impact of IT/technology, involvement of civil society, new forms of specialist diplomacy and the emergence of a hybrid diplomacy with overlapping elements of a traditional, intergovernmental diplomacy and a globalising networking diplomacy.

We were very proud to note three Clingendael Academy alumni, from Poland, Palestine and Montenegro. Montenegro’s minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Srdan Darmanovic was the key note speaker at the anniversary ceremony.