IAF 321 students enrolled in Diplomacy Theory and Practice at the Department of Government and International Relations, Faculty of Law and Political Science (FLPS), NDU, were recently given two separate training sessions, each delivered by a guest speaker from the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants: H.E. Consul Bashir Tawk and Queen Salameh (FLPS instructor who was recently recruited as a diplomat).
The aim of this training was to help students appreciate the intricate rules and procedures involved in pursuing a career in diplomacy and foreign affairs, starting from recruitment and training to protocol and the daily challenges faced by a diplomat. Consul Tawk and Salameh explained the necessary requirements students needed to eventually become diplomats.
Salameh focused on the main topics that form part of the entrance examination to the diplomatic corps, which involve both an oral assessment and a written exam. She also described the official ‘Protocol and Precedence List’ of Lebanon, explaining the order and main aspects of protocol. The session was brimming with lively debate and witnessed learners proffering their opinions on several issues of interest to them.
For his part, Consul Tawk said that in order for a novice diplomat to work anywhere around the world, much flexibility and knowledge of the mainstays and new trends shaping current foreign policy is needed. Also, he highlighted the important role of a diplomat in dealing with high- and low-ranking political officials and in negotiating and helping advance internationally-held values and policies.
In an effort to help students better understand this career path from different perspectives, the two experts ended the sessions by discussing the advantages and disadvantages of life in the diplomatic corps.