Today, we celebrate 23 years since the establishment of the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute!
The Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute was established by a decree of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Bulgaria on 23 September 2003 as the first independent diplomatic training institution in the history of the Bulgarian state. Its primary function was to organise and conduct training programmes to enhance the professional qualifications of Ministry of Foreign Affairs staff, as well as of civil servants whose work is related to the functions of the diplomatic service and the implementation of Bulgaria’s foreign policy, in line with contemporary international standards in the profession.
Over the years, the responsibilities and scope of the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute’s activities have expanded significantly. Our mission is to promote Bulgaria’s foreign policy and foster an active public debate on current international relations issues through various forms of public diplomacy, including conferences, expert forums and meetings, as well as through engaging digital diplomacy in the online space and on social media.
Through our publishing and research activities, we strive to provide a platform for analysis by Bulgarian and foreign experts and to promote Bulgarian research expertise. Over the years, we have succeeded in establishing our periodicals — Diplomacy Journal, Foreign Policy Studies, Energy and Climate Diplomacy and Live Archives series — as preferred sources of reference for the expert community in Bulgaria.
We have also traditionally placed great importance on initiatives aimed at young people, including our internship programme and Open Doors programme, as part of our efforts to attract young professionals to pursue careers in the Bulgarian diplomatic service.
Over the past 23 years, we have built an extensive network of international and national partnerships with leading European and global diplomatic academies and institutes, international organisations, universities, research centres and non-governmental organisations working in the field of international relations. We are proud of the experience we have gained through numerous projects funded at national, European and international level, as well as of our specialised diplomatic library, which houses valuable publications reflecting nearly 150 years of the history of Bulgarian diplomacy.
Today, 23 years later, we are proud of what we have achieved, while remaining firmly committed to the maxim that has become our motto — DOCENDO DISCIMUS (“By teaching, we learn”).
We would like to thank all our colleagues, friends, and partners for their support for the cause that is the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute! We are confident that many more achievements await us together!
