On the 30th of September, the Clingendael training for junior diplomats from South Eastern Europe (CDSEE) commenced. A special welcome awaited the eager participants, as this is the 10^th anniversary of the training program.

‘Learning by Doing’

In the following weeks, the program will focus particularly on the European Union, the rule of law, security issues and socio-economic welfare. The Clingendael philosophy of ‘learning by doing’ will be applied to all six modules of the training. Every module consists of a number of trainings and lectures that have to be applied in practice as well. The contents of the various modules will be linked to negotiations simulations, debating sessions, pitches & speeches, writing and presenting political reports, and discussing issues with practitioners in class as well as during working visits.

The EU Module and EU negotiations

European Union will be covered extensively through the first three modules of the program, because of its close links with the region. The participants will learn how to effectively advocate their interests in the EU, what the current institutional power balance is within the EU, and they will thoroughly study enlargement issues and the current state of affairs. These modules will end with a full-day EU accession negotiation simulation together with participants from the Course in International Relations (LBB). They will have the chance to bring all their acquired knowledge and skills into practice. In this simulation, participants will take up different roles of EU member states or aspiring member states. Before entering into this simulation, they will have learned all about package deals, constructive ambiguity, how to come to an acceptable consensus, and of course how to influence and obtain their goals effectively.

We wish our participants of this course all the best through the following weeks of the program and in the Netherlands!

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              Group photo in front of Huys Clingendael

10 October 2014