Each year the Clingendael Institute provides training to more than 3,000 diplomats and other professionals from over 120 countries, both at Clingendael in The Hague and on location. We empower our participants to take effective action in international and politically sensitive environments.

International politics is dynamic and priorities and ambitions of our partners change accordingly. Clingendael Academy is an experienced provider of customized training programmes to fit these priorities and ambitions. Together with our partners, we determine the best possible combination of training components, the particulars of which can be grouped into three categories:

• Content: themes which are vital to the working field of the diplomat;
• Competences: skills the diplomats need to do their work properly, such as negotiating, diplomatic writing and more;
• Work processes: showing how working as a diplomat works in practice through conducting visits to relevant organisations, such as ministries and NGOs. 

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Especially when it comes to our areas of expertise -  diplomacy and foreign affairs, security and conflict management, EU affairs, and international negotiation skills – we  combine any content, competences and work processes in order to provide partners and clients the exact training needed. 

Examples of the Clingendael Training Method in practice

--> Blue Diplomacy for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) - 2 weeks’ programme

The objectives of this training programme are to strengthen in-depth knowledge of Blue Economy and the role of diplomats therein, and to enhance capacities in multilateral negotiations and strategic thinking.

• Content: Sustainable coastal protection; offshore energy; international ocean governance; port development; aquaculture & fisheries; financing for ocean development;
• Competences: Creativity; analytical thinking; cooperation & teamwork; negotiation skills; scenario building;
• Work processes: Developing a negotiation strategy for multilateral fora; macro-economic analysis; public-private cooperation; SWOT analysis.

--> Diplomats from Latin America and the Caribbean - 4 weeks’ programme

The overarching objective of this training programme is to contribute to greater regional cooperation in Latin America and the Caribbean by offering a platform for the exchange of knowledge and views both with each other as well as with experts and practitioners from the Netherlands and Europe as a whole. 

• Content: Regional integration, international development and cooperation, international law and human rights, global environmental governance, international security;
• Competences: Networking and negotiation skills, intercultural awareness, analytical thinking, cooperation and teamwork;
• Work processes: Political economic analysis, public-private cooperation, policy planning, political reporting, lobbying.

--> EU presidency training

The EU presidency trainings offered by Clingendael are specifically designed to enable civil servants from EU member states with an upcoming EU presidency to execute this task effectively and make full use of the influence and opportunities the role provides. This requires a deepening of the knowledge of the EU institutions and the legislative framework, but also of the key skillsets central to the Presidency’s role, such as negotiating in an EU setting and effective chairing. Clingendael has recently provided these trainings for the Polish, Dutch and Slovakian presidencies.

• Content: EU decision-making processes, process & dynamics of EU negotiations, working of EU institutions, interplay between EU and national actors, role of Presidency in relation to Commission/European Parliament, Commission working programme (the Juncker agenda);
• Competences: Chairing of EU meetings, negotiating in trilogues, (intercultural) communication, negotiation and mediation skills, effective communication;
• Work processes: planning of Council agendas, rules and procedures of working parties, stakeholder and network analysis, developing a negotiation strategy, lobbying.

--> Het 'Klasje' - 3 months' programme

Clingendael recently trained 21 junior policy officers from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other ministries. This entry-level training is meant to help prepare new recruits with limited experience at the MFA to effectively contribute to the Netherlands' foreign policy in their first two years at the MFA. Additionally, it enhances a comprehensive interministerial understanding of international policy as a field that is shared between different national actors. 

• Content: current trends and dilemmas in foreign policy, including fields such as consular affairs, trade and development, international law, sustainability, European integration, and more;
• Competences: from the personal (assertiveness, empathy, result-orientedness) to cooperative (working as a team, delivering feedback), to applied diplomatic skills such as negotiating, networking, and speech writing;
• Working processes: delivering policy advise, working within the hierarchy, engaging in interdepartmental coordination, preparing for and engaging in counter-part meetings, working with business, NGOs and the media, and more. 

More information

The Institute has the capacity and staff to train all kinds of participants. Interested in what the Institute can do for your organisation? Our programme coordinators will be happy to provide you with more information regarding the Clingendael Training Method.