Diplomacy (using non-lethal means to manage interstate relations and foreign threats) and statecraft (managing state power to promote national interests) are the key tools by which a nation's foreign policy is implemented. In other words, in the management of official relations between states and intergovernmental organizations to promote national interests through both cooperation and competition, diplomacy and statecraft are central aspects of the foreign policy toolkit in international politics. Yet, our world is increasingly interconnected, as demonstrated by the domestic impact of external issues. New subjects crowd the international agenda. At home and abroad, many actors participate in international affairs far beyond the realm of states or ministries of foreign affairs. This course will give students insight into the contemporary practice of, and challenges to, diplomacy through an examination of political, economic and development statecraft; multilateral statecraft, including with and through organizations such as the UN, World Bank, and regional organizations; and the use of public diplomacy to spread information (and disinformation), values and norms through educational opportunities, cultural activities, language, and exchange programs, to name a few. We will also review the manner in which diplomacy and statecraft have changed and adapted due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and other recent global developments such as desertification and mass movements of people. Students will assess lines of action policy makers have initiated to find solutions and explore alternative approaches to these problems. I also place emphasis on the tools and skills needed for policy analysis and the formulation of effective recommendations for decision-making. I will use case studies and group exercises throughout the course and there will be a number of policy writing assignments and oral presentations. Students are encouraged to think, act, and write like diplomats and to appreciate diplomacy as a vocation. Through the course, students connect diplomatic trend lines with today's international headlines. Students will gain expertise on a contemporary diplomatic challenge of their choosing through research and readings policy project that culminates in a written policy memo to the next president.
