Introduction to Diplomacy

The world does not run itself: every day, decisions made in foreign capitals, international organizations, and diplomatic meetings shape your life in ways most people never fully understand. This course gives you the knowledge, vocabulary, and analytical tools to change that. Across eight carefully structured modules you will learn how states are organized and governed, how foreign policy is developed and implemented, and how diplomacy functions as the primary tool through which states pursue their interests without going to war. You will explore the major intergovernmental organizations that govern global affairs, including the United Nations, NATO, the World Trade Organization, and the African Union, and understand how power operates through military strength, economic leverage, and cultural influence. In the later modules you will master the three dominant theories of international relations: Realism, Liberalism, and Constructivism, and learn how to apply them as analytical lenses to explain and predict state behavior in real time. The course finishes with a deep dive into modern diplomacy covering the US-China rivalry, climate negotiations, cybersecurity, nuclear arms control, digital diplomacy, and career pathways in the field. No prior knowledge is required. Every concept is explained from the ground up and illustrated with real world examples.