22 years of development and innovation in diplomatic training
Since its establishment, the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute has continuously expanded its training, research and public outreach activities.
Key milestones in the history of the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute:
The Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria was established by Council of Ministers Decree No. 209 of 23 September 2003 as the first independent school for diplomatic training in the modern history of Bulgaria.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zdravko Popov was appointed the first Director of the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute on 1 January 2004. The Institute established its first international and national partnerships. The first Course in Diplomacy for Trainee Attachés at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was launched. The Institute's National Advisory Board and International Advisory Board were established. The Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute joined the International Forum on Diplomatic Training (IFDT).
In 2005, the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute expanded its network of international partnerships with diplomatic academies and schools around the world, including the Netherlands Institute of International Relations Clingendael, which over time became one of the Institute's key partners. The first Course in Consular Diplomacy was launched, along with training programmes for foreign diplomats and civil servants. The joint radio programme “The Diplomatic Profession”, produced by the Institute and Darik Radio, began broadcasting. The Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute established its internship programme.
Prof. Milan Milanov was appointed Director of the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute. The Institute organised for the first time its traditional Winter School of Diplomacy for young diplomats from the Balkan and Black Sea regions, as well as a Course in Military Diplomacy. The first national essay competitions for university and secondary school students, dedicated to NATO and UNESCO, were held. The Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute further consolidated its institutional status through the newly adopted Diplomatic Service Act of the Republic of Bulgaria. In 2008, the Institute's official logo was created, while the Latin motto “Docendo Discimus” – “By teaching, we learn” – was adopted as its guiding principle. The first issue of the bilingual Diplomacy Journal was also published, subsequently becoming a hallmark of the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute's publishing activities.
The Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute expanded its public outreach through a range of public and expert events. The Institute launched its Foreign Policy Studies publication series. The entire book collection of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was entrusted to the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute and developed into a specialised library. Annual specialised seminars on energy diplomacy and training in economic diplomacy were launched. For the first time, the Institute participated in organising an Orientation Course on the EU Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) in Brussels. The first issue of the bilingual Energy Diplomacy publication was released. The Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute launched its official Facebook page. Tanya Mihaylova was appointed Director of the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute at the beginning of 2012.
The Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute marked its tenth anniversary with a regional conference entitled “Challenges to Contemporary Diplomacy”. The Institute established its annual honorary awards for one Bulgarian and one foreign citizen or organisation that had made a significant contribution to the development of the Institute. Its training activities were expanded with a course in public diplomacy and an intensive course in diplomacy. The Institute launched its first national communication campaigns – “I Vote Because I Care”, on the occasion of the European Parliament elections, and “10 Years Bulgaria in NATO”. The event “Day of the Free Spirit” was held with the participation of legendary musician Ken Hensley. The joint Master's programme “European Integration and EU Diplomacy” of Sofia University and the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute was launched. The Institute also launched its long-term project “The Sea Brings All That is Distant Together”, featuring exhibitions of historical maps of the Black Sea region. The Institute actively participated in the National Programme marking the European Year for Development 2015 (EYD 2015), which included a series of events dedicated to EU development assistance and Bulgaria's development policy.
In 2016, the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute expanded its project activities after being approved to implement a large-scale project under the Good Governance Operational Programme, aimed at enhancing the competences of the Bulgarian public administration. At the beginning of 2017, the Institute was awarded a project under the US Emerging Donors Challenge Fund, involving the delivery of energy diplomacy training at four of Ukraine's largest universities. A cooperation agreement was signed with the Netherlands Institute of International Relations Clingendael to involve Dutch experts in courses designed to strengthen the negotiation, communication and presentation skills of Bulgarian public administration officials in preparation for the 2018 Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU. More than 2,000 Bulgarian civil servants were trained by the end of the Presidency. In 2018, the Institute launched a long-term project aimed at building the capacity of the Diplomatic Institute of Moldova, funded through Bulgarian Official Development Aid. In 2019, the Institute actively participated in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' campaign marking the 140th anniversary of the Bulgarian diplomatic service. Seminars were held in Albania, Serbia and Montenegro to share Bulgaria's experience in the European integration process.
In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute strengthened its digital presence on social media and delivered a number of training programmes in online and hybrid formats. The Institute launched a dedicated training and research stream in digital diplomacy, strategic communications and countering disinformation through a series of training seminars for the diplomatic service and public administration. The publishing activities of the Institute were expanded, with new volumes in the Live Archives series focusing on Bulgaria's accession to the EU and NATO, as well as the diplomatic efforts to resolve the case of the Bulgarian medics in Libya. Applied research projects were implemented, resulting in publications on the contemporary foreign policies of Serbia, Romania and Greece and their relations with Bulgaria. The Institute actively participated in the national campaign supporting Bulgaria's accession to the OECD by organising national and international conferences and expert seminars. A project aimed at combating antisemitism and preserving Jewish cultural heritage in Bulgaria was successfully implemented. The Institute marked its 20th anniversary with an international conference focusing on science diplomacy. The Director of the Institute, Tanya Mihaylova, was awarded the Golden Badge of Honour of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for her significant contribution to the development and strengthening of the prestige of the Bulgarian diplomatic service.
The leaders who have contributed to the development of the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute:
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