The Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute took part in the 52nd annual meeting of directors of diplomatic academies and institutes from around the world, held in Doha, Qatar. The meeting took place within the framework of the International Forum on Diplomatic Training (IFDT), of which the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute has been a member since its establishment. The event was hosted by the Diplomatic Institute of the State of Qatar.
Held over three days under the theme “Beyond Diplomatic Training: Preparing Diplomats for a World in Transformation”, this year’s forum brought together nearly 90 participants from 60 professional diplomatic training institutions in 50 countries. The Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute was represented by its Director, Ms. Tanya Mihaylova, and Ms. Silvana Tsokova, Head of the Public Affairs and Cooperation Department.
The forum was opened by the Director of the Diplomatic Institute of Qatar, H.E. Mr. Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Al Hor, who highlighted the importance of such meetings as platforms for professional exchange, particularly in times of transformation. The opening ceremony also featured addresses by the heads of the two institutions that founded the International Forum on Diplomatic Training and have been long-standing partners of the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute: Ambassador Barbara Bodine, Director of the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and Ambassador Martin Eichtinger, Director of the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna.
The programme provided an opportunity to exchange expertise and good practices and discuss contemporary challenges in diplomatic training through a series of panel discussions. Topics included innovation in diplomatic training, the assessment of training outcomes and methodologies, the role of artificial intelligence in diplomatic training and the opportunities and risks it presents, as well as the importance of international partnerships between training institutions.
Ms. Mihaylova delivered a presentation entitled “Beyond the Classroom” as part of a special panel, IFDT Lightning Talks, sharing the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute’s experience in experiential learning and institutional partnerships. She also held bilateral meetings with counterparts from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Syria, the Netherlands, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Greece, Romania, the European External Action Service (EEAS), Japan, and other countries and institutions.
For the first time, the programme also featured a panel discussion with junior diplomats from different countries, who shared their training experiences and identified the skills they would like to see given greater emphasis in order to better prepare them for the practical demands of diplomatic work.
Forum participants had the opportunity to learn first-hand about the latest initiatives of the Diplomatic Institute of Qatar in practical training, educational simulations and the use of artificial intelligence, as well as to visit its specialised training rooms and facilities.
Three workshops were also held on the topics “Preparing Future Diplomats – Skills for 2035”, “Diplomatic Learning Lab for the Future” and “AI for Diplomacy”.
For the first time, the forum also saw the launch of two new initiatives proposed by the hosts: the Award for Innovation in Diplomatic Training, presented this year to the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna for its “Foreign Policy Hackathon” project aimed at the student community; and the adoption by all participants of the Doha Declaration, setting out principles of professionalism and ethics in diplomatic training.
The main programme of the forum concluded with the announcement of the host of the 53rd Annual Meeting in 2027 – the Diplomatic Institute of Ghana.
