Estonian School of Diplomacy

National Network
Estonie
Address

Rävala 12
10143 Tallinn Estonia
Estonie

Telephone
+372 6311051
Telephone (other)
+372 53423008
E-Mail
jelena.vital@edk.edu.ee
E-Mail (2)
ekke@edk.edu.ee
Mobile Phone
+372 53423008
Organisation Type
Public/Private Non-Profit Foundation
Year of Establishment
1990
Fields of Activity
  1. Youth and education
General Information

The Estonian School of Diplomacy (ESD) is a not-for-profit educational institution that provides high-quality training to talented people from Estonia and around the world in the fields of diplomatic practice, European integration, international relations, and public administration.

Mission and Objectives

Whether through our 8-month interdisciplinary post-graduate program on International Relations and Diplomacy, or through tailor-made training courses for diplomats from countries near and far, ESD helps our trainees to navigate the complexities of today’s world and to understand the ’big picture’. The Estonian School of Diplomacy is a registered non-profit organisation. In our daily work we operate according to the rules of adult training legislation. ESD’s broader objectives are to promote the development of theoretical and practical knowledge in the fields of international relations, European integration, diplomacy, and public administration reform. ESD’s activities aimed at advancing these goals include: Scholarship programmes Advanced custom training courses and study visits for diplomats and civil servants outside Estonia Management and consulting on international training projects Academic and policy research and development Publishing

Main Projects / Activities

ESD is a member of the following organisations that focus on the study and teaching of international relations and related fields: The European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) The European Information Network of International Relations and Area Studies (EINIRAS) The International Affairs Network (IAN) The International Forum of Diplomatic Training (IFDT) The International Studies Association (ISA) The University Association for Contemporary European Studies (UACES) ESD activities primarily focused on professional education for the MFA and its personnel. In 2005 ESD launched its first joint scholarship program, in cooperation with the Swedish Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), to enroll students from the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine. Soon after, the Estonian and Finnish ministries of foreign affairs provided support that enabled ESD to expand the program to include young diplomats and state officials from Moldova and Georgia. In 2011, the US Department of State supported the training of Belarusian civil society activists at ESD. Cooperation with other countries has been ongoing as well. Over the years ESD has carried out several training projects with the aim of highlighting and sharing best practices derived from Estonia’s experience in implementing reforms and integrating successfully with NATO and the EU. Based on this experience, specific topics covered in these projects have ranged from developing a career foreign service and how to design and carry out public administration reform on the one hand, to more general topics such as international cooperation, the art of negotiating, and state-building, among others. A number of custom short-term training projects have been launched for diplomats and civil servants from Central Asia (including Afghanistan), the Balkan countries, the Middle East, and North Africa. ESD has been actively following developments of the European Union Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), with special interest in the Eastern Partnership (EaP) initiative launched in 2009. That year, ESD began organising and holding multilateral seminars and conferences targeted to state officials from the 6 EaP countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine. In the EaP region, ESD has worked closely with its counterpart institutions (diplomatic academies and training centers) in Armenia, Georgia, and Ukraine to assist in institution-building and curriculum development Currently, ESD’s scholarship program accepts students from many countries around the world, from the EaP and Central Asian states to Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean. Current project with Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine " Trilateral Professional Capacity Building Project: UKRAIN’S EUROPEAN WAY" for the period of July 2023 – June 2025

Contact (1) Full Name
Jelena Vital
Job Title
Project Manager
Head of the organisation
Mr. Ekke Nõmm