The Summer School of Diplomacy is a gem of KUL

The second edition of the Summer School of Diplomacy has started in Lublin, conducted within the Center for Research on Diplomacy at the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin. Participants are completing thematic blocks related to the nature of work at a diplomatic mission, promotion of Polish science worldwide, cultural diplomacy, and communication.

Among the instructors are experts engaged in diplomatic-consular service, public administration, and active in international environments.

Participants sit at conference tables during a business meeting, with a city skyline visible in the background.

The Summer School of Diplomacy is an educational project aimed at senior students, university graduates, local government representatives, academic staff, and experts who want to develop a career in diplomacy and foreign service. On Monday, September 21, the second edition of this event began in Lublin.

The Summer School of Diplomacy is a true gem of the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin. It is a prestigious educational method that allows combining learning with practice. The staff we invited to our project is a treasure trove of knowledge about international politics, the behind-the-scenes of diplomacy, and the promotion of Poland worldwide – said Dr. hab. Beata Piskorska, Vice-Rector for Students and Internationalization at KUL, initiator and head of The Center for the Study of Diplomacy, during the opening of the Summer School of Diplomacy.

Piotr Majchrzak, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Austria in Lublin and substantive coordinator of The Center for the Study of Diplomacy at KUL, explained that the project's goal is to equip participants with specialized knowledge useful in diplomatic-consular service, public administration, and international environments.

Meeting participants sit around a long table set with cups, plates, and materials, with a colorful mural behind them.

During this year's edition, we have prepared several thematic blocks related to the nature of work at a diplomatic mission, promotion of Polish science worldwide, cultural diplomacy, and communication – listed Piotr Majchrzak. 

Marek Magierowski: Diplomacy is teamwork

The first day of the Summer School of Diplomacy began with classes led by Marek Magierowski, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and former Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to the United States and Israel, who spoke, among other things, about the role of the head of a diplomatic mission abroad.

In diplomacy, teamwork is the most important. Every mission is a team of employees, and each of them plays an extremely important role in conducting the diplomatic mission. Therefore, it is important to maintain good relations with this team. I feel that I managed to build them with my team both in Israel and in the United States – said Marek Magierowski.

A man in a suit speaks to a group of students during an educational meeting.

In his opinion, a feature of every diplomat should be leaving their own political views outside the embassy doors.

An ambassador represents the state, not the interests of this or that party or leader of this or that political movement. For this reason, the work of a diplomat requires not only thick skin but also enormous psychological effort – argued the former ambassador of Poland to Israel and the USA.

One of the participants of the Summer School of Diplomacy, Szymon Wnuk from Lublin, hopes that thanks to workshops with experts, he will learn behind-the-scenes details of diplomatic missions.

Ambassador Marek Magierowski’s story allowed us to get to know the everyday work in diplomacy, which is not visible in the media on a daily basis. In this way, we learned, among other things, elements of diplomatic protocol related to preparing a foreign visit of the President of Poland – emphasizes Szymon Wnuk, who was also interested in the impact of cultural differences on relations between Poland and the USA and Israel. – Because as we hear from lecturers, diplomacy is about building relationships – adds Szymon Wnuk.

A group of people attends a meeting at conference tables while a man leads a presentation.

Three days of workshops with experts

The Summer School of Diplomacy in Lublin will last until September 23. Within its framework, classes will also be conducted by Dr. hab. Anna Umińska-Woroniecka, professor at the University of Wrocław, an expert in foreign cultural policy, public and cultural diplomacy, and theory and analysis of states’ foreign policy; Marta Zielińska, deputy director of the Polish Investment and Trade Agency; Dr. Magdalena Nowacka, expert on the program promoting Polish science in the Expo Exhibition Department at the Polish Investment and Trade Agency; and Jacek Babiel, expert in public speaking.

The Center for Research on Diplomacy at KUL is an international center for research, education, and social engagement specializing in broadly understood diplomacy. Its activities are funded by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.