CD Pacific: Capacity Development Programme in Multilateral Diplomacy for Pacific Island States
Ms Setaita Tupua Kalou, from the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Fiji
Setaita established a better understanding of 21st century diplomacy and small island dimensions of small island states as her goals for the Master/ Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Diplomacy.
Interests and goals I was interested in the deeper intricacies of diplomacy in the 21st century, given the major tectonic shifts in today’s geopolitics. The Master in Contemporary Diplomacy programme delivered by providing us with a more holistic approach which featured the mainstream key players perspective as well as the often ‘silent’ dimension of small states. The courses exceeded my expectations in the sense that I did not expect the coverage of some issues to have so much depth. The substantive course content at DiploFoundation was demystified on a number of levels by the lecturers so it was relatively easier for students to understand, yet at the same time, it pushed our traditional boundaries to expand our body of knowledge beyond our comfort zones.
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On online learning I had extensively searched online for a Master’s programme on diplomacy which best suited my needs in terms of distance and flexible learning, content, availability to international students and affordability. The Diplo course was reasonably flexible and convenient. The