Catalonia’s 21st century diplomats

“Diplomacy in the 21st century is less about budgets, much more humble, much more savvy, much more work and, above all, humane,” said the Catalan Minister of Foreign Affairs Raül Romeva on Tuesday, at the graduation ceremony of the fourth edition of the Executive Master’s in Diplomacy and Foreign Affairs, organized by Diplocat. The ceremony took place in the emblematic Palau de la Generalitat building, the seat of the Catalan executive.

The master’s program is aimed at Catalan civil service employees wishing to broaden their knowledge of international relations. A total of 19 students received the official diploma in this edition. In all, some 71 foreign relations students have received the master’s degree over the four editions, which is recognized by Barcelona’s Pompeu Fabra University.

Princeton University professor Carles Boix, who heads the master’s program, stressed the need to prepare public administration workers, because “it doesn’t matter how many rules and institutions there are, you need people to make a better country,” he said. “The master’s is to provide a service in foreign affairs that is not the general diplomatic service, like the romantic ideas of embassies. The idea is that we want people who can be councilors, who can work together in a network,” Boix added.