The course aims at providing the students with a wide overview of contemporary diplomacy in the global scenario, with specific reference to the major transformations of the diplomatic realm in recent times. Challenges and prospects for the future of diplomacy in the light of cultural, societal and technological changes will be the object of discussions and workshops. 

The main focus of the course will be understanding and explaining the process of international negotiation and mediation, as one of the most important tasks of diplomats and international experts and practitioners. The course will also highlight the mutual interaction between theory and practice, conceptual approaches and empirical evidence. A blend of "field notes" taken from the direct diplomatic experience of the instructor, case studies and theoretical contextualization will be a salient feature of the course. Using several analytical tools, students will assess and compare contemporary and historical examples of international negotiations and mediation efforts, in particular through structured workshops and a simulation. Negotiation and mediation will be considered both as peace-making tools and as means to strengthen the world political order, as a process specific to the international system of states and crucial to its survival, in the wider context of the international order and the strategic choices among confrontation, competition and cooperation. Special attention will be devoted to cross-cultural aspects of negotiation and gender issues in diplomacy.  For every topic, a pertinent movie is suggested to the students as an integrative and optional activity.