The IPSA-Concordia Summer Institute in Applied Diplomacy

Overview

The IPSA-Concordia Summer Institute in Applied Diplomacy, the first IPSA Summer School to be held in Canada, is a ten-day program hosted at Concordia University, in the heart of Montreal. Policy-oriented seminars will be complemented with a practical hands-on Diplomacy Lab, allowing the participants to work on case studies in teams. Through field trips to Global Affairs Canada and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), participants will also explore practitioners’ points of view and have the opportunity to network with Montreal’s vibrant international community. The Summer Institute is offered in person but will host a virtual option for international students who wish to audit the course.

Montreal is home to over 70 International Organizations (IOs), including IPSA and the only UN agency in Canada (the International Civil Aviation Organization) and has a very active consular corp. Furthermore, it is situated close to Ottawa, Canada’s capital, making it easy for ambassadors and global affairs experts to participate in the Summer Institute.

We invite all graduate students, young researchers and professionals to participate in the upcoming IPSA-Concordia Summer Institute in Applied Diplomacy.

Academic Leaders
Dr. Elizabeth Bloodgood, Professor of Political Science, Concordia, Dr. Kim Fontaine-Skronski, Executive Director, IPSA

Educational program

The IPSA-Concordia Summer Institute in Applied Diplomacy course objective is to combine theory and practice by prominent scholars and diplomats, for the benefit of the participants from around the world.

Students will attend two (2) or three (3) classes per day at the Concordia University downtown campus, combining discussion of the theory and practice of diplomacy as it has changed over time, complemented with a practical hands-on Diplomacy Lab to collaborate on actual case studies as teams. The best Diplomacy Lab team will get a free one-year IPSA student membership.

Course Outline

• Introduction: The Evolution of Diplomacy
• Diplomacy in International Relations Theory
• Traditional Diplomacy – States, International Organizations
• Changing Diplomacy – Agencies, Non-State Actors
• International Negotiations, Past and Present
• Digital Diplomacy
• Municipal Diplomacy
• Trade Negotiations
• International Law and Norms of Diplomacy
• Environmental Negotiations
• Scientific Diplomacy
• Arctic Diplomacy
• Indigenous Diplomacy

The language of instruction is English but written assignments can be submitted in either French or English. In 2024, students registered for academic credit will participate in person while international auditors will attend remotely via Zoom.

Educational Field Trips

Global Affairs Canada
A field trip to Ottawa, the nation’s capital, will be organized to meet with Canadian government officials at Global Affairs Canada. Please note that this field trip is virtual.

ICAO
Students will also meet leaders of Montreal-based International Civil Aviation Organization as well as participate in networking events with diplomats and governmental officials. This field trip is only in person.

Please note that students need to be double vaccinated to participate in the field trips and be compliant with Quebec’s health guidelines.

Speakers

from the 2022 Summer Institute:

*Speakers for the 2024 Institute will be confirmed shortly
 

• Dr. Elizabeth Bloodgood, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Political Science, Concordia University
• Dr. Bob Reinalda, Fellow and Senior Researcher at Radboud University, Nijmegen, NL

• Mr. Jess Dutton, Director General, Middle East, Global Affairs Canada and Former Canadian Ambassador to Egypt

• Dr. Natalia Grincheva, Senior Lecturer, Programme Leader, BA Arts Management, LASALLE College of the Arts & Senior Research Fellow (Honorary), School of Culture and Communication, The University of Melbourne

• H.E. Alejandro Estivill, Consul General in Montreal, Mexico

• Mr. Henri-Paul Normandin, Former Director, International Relations Bureau, City of Montreal, and Fellow at the Institut d’études internationales de Montréal (IEIM)

• Dr. Nicole de Silva, Assistant Professor, Political Science Academic Director, Political Science Co-op Program, Concordia University

• Mr. Pierre Marier, Director, Tariffs and Goods Market Access, Global Affairs Canada

• Ms. Nadine Nickner, Director, Government Procurement, Trade and Environment Division, Global Affairs Canada

• Dr. Corneliu Bjola, Associate Professor of Diplomatic Studies, University of Oxford

• Mr. Kyle Matthews, Executive Director of the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies (MIGS) at Concordia University

• Ms. Sarah Cox, Director, Circumpolar Affairs & Head of Delegation, SDWG, Arctic Council, Crown Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs

• Mr. Sean Clark, Director, Trade Agreements Secretariat, Global Affairs Canada

• Dr. Philippe-André Rodriguez, Deputy Director, Centre for International Digital Policy, Global Affairs Canada

• Dr. Jean-Christophe Mauduit, Lecturer in Science Diplomacy at University College London (UCL) in the Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy (STEaPP)

• Dr. Jean-Christian Lemay, Research and Innovation Attaché at the Québec Government Office in London

• Admiral Lutz Feldt, Vice Admiral (ret) of the German Navy, president of EuroDefense Germany

• Dr. Mathieu Denis, Science Director, International Science Council (ISC)

• Sir Peter Gluckman, Chair, International Network on Government Science Advice (INGSA)

• Dr. Kim Fontaine-Skronski, Affiliated Professor, Department of Political Science, Concordia University, and Executive Director, IPSA

• Mr. Don Stephenson, Former Canadian Ambassador to the WTO

• Mr. Nabil Naoumi, Former President Air Navigation Commission, ICAO
  

Schedule

Monday, August 19
AM – Introduction: Diplomacy in IR Theory
PM1 – Traditional Diplomacy (states and international organizations)
PM2 – Diplomacy Lab – Case Study 1
Evening: ***Opening ceremony keynote by a practitioner on the “Practice and challenges facing diplomats today”***

Tuesday, August 20
AM1 – Changing Diplomacy (agencies, non-state actors)
AM2 – Diplomacy Lab – Case Study 2
PM – Municipal Diplomacy

Wednesday, August 21
AM1 – International Law and Norms of Diplomacy
AM2 – Diplomacy Lab – Case Study 3
PM – Environmental Negotiations, Past and Present

Thursday, August 22
AM – Digital Diplomacy
PM1 – Arctic Diplomacy and the Arctic Council
PM2 – Diplomacy Lab – Case Study 4

Friday, August 23
Field trip to Global Affairs Canada (Virtual)
Meetings with governmental officials

Monday, August 26
AM – Science Diplomacy
PM – Indigenous Diplomacy

Tuesday, August 27
AM – Diplomacy Lab (working session)
PM – Trade Negotiations

Wednesday, August 28
AM – Diplomacy Lab (working session)
PM1 – Diplomacy Lab – Student Presentations
PM2 – Closing Ceremony Dinner

Thursday, August 29
Field Trip to ICAO (In-person)

Cost/Logistics

Local students are expected to attend in person and will be charged at Concordia’s standard fees. International students have the option of completing the summer institute for academic credit, and consequently the tuition is in accordance with Concordia’s international student fees. Students who are attending the institute for credit are expected to be in residence in Montreal for the duration of the institute. However, international students who do not wish to obtain academic credit for the summer institute will have an audit option where the summer institute can be accessed virtually, for a reduced fee. 

Canadian students (Academic Credit Option)

• Fees: For Concordia students the course will be registered as a regular course and the standard fees apply. For non-Concordia (but Canadian) students, use the tuition and fee estimator to figure out the applicable course fees.

• Attendance: In person 

International students: Academic Credit Option

• Fees: For international students seeking to obtain credit for the course, the course fees will be charged as per usual for international students. Please use the tuition and fee estimator to figure out the applicable course fees.

• Attendance: In person

• Residence: Students taking the course for credit are required to attend the institute in person. As such they are expected to be in residence in Montreal. The Grey Nuns Residence is an excellent option, within a few minutes of Concordia University, which offers discounted rates for summer students. Alternatively, students can find their own accommodation.

How to apply - Credit and non-credit options

Applications are due by May 12, 2024 to be eligible for a grant. IPSA will offer three grants of $335.00 USD to the top student applicants who apply by this deadline. (either for in-person or online applicants). For those who do not wish to apply for a grant, they can still register by August 10, 2024 or until spaces are filled.

In your application, please provide:

• Your name, university, country, email address and telephone number.
• A letter of intent (1000 words maximum), that responds to these questions:
  • Why are you interested in attending the IPSA-Concordia Summer Institute in Applied Diplomacy this summer?
  • What previous experience or preparation have you had in the area of diplomacy, both practical and academic?

The institute is also available for young professionals working in governmental and non-governmental agencies. 

For your application to be complete, you must submit the following:

• your letter of intent answering the above questions
• an unofficial transcript from your current program or most recent degree
• your CV
• a referee's contact information (email/telephone#) who can speak to your academic experience.

Please note that the Summer Institute is an intensive course involving class sessions and labs between 9 am and 3 pm most days, as well as nightly readings with brief summaries, and thus very fast paced. The final syllabus for the Institute will be available in March 2024.

International Non-credit: Audit Option

Applications are due by August 10, 2024 or until spaces are filled.

Fees: The audit option is $335.00 USD for students and $435.00 USD for professionals. 

Attendance: Virtually over the Zoom platform. Students will not be able to participate in the field trip to ICAO.

Contact Information and Questions

Questions about the IPSA-Concordia Summer Institute, and application processes, can be sent to ipsasummerschool@concordia.ca.