Diplomatic School of Spain


The Diplomatic School is the official training institution of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs for career diplomats. It also provides training to other public officials working abroad and forming part of the Foreign Service.
This international training center was established in late 1942 and is located in Madrid.
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History

Before the 20th century, diplomatic careers in Spain were limited and poorly trained. Most good diplomats became so because they belonged to prominent families who trained them for the profession, while most diplomatic posts were granted to politicians or intellectuals with no knowledge or interest in diplomacy.
In an attempt to solve this problem, in late 1911 The Marquess of Alhucemas, minister of state, granted the Royal Academy of Jurisprudence and Legislation funds to establish a Institute for the Teaching of Diplomatic and Consular Careers and a Center for Moroccan Studies, whose purpose was the training of high-ranking officials to reactivate Spain's foreign policy and strengthen the [Spanish protectorate in Morocco|new Spain|Spanish action in Morocco].
Years later, in 1928, the diplomatic career and the consular career were merged into a single one and the institute was renamed as Diplomatic Institute and Center for Moroccan Studies. However, during the Second Spanish Republic, the government wanted to establish a new method to chose diplomats and, in September 1932, the Under-Secretary of State informed the Royal Academy that the funds for the third quarter would be the last.
Since 1939, the Royal Academy proposed to reestablish the institute and foreign minister Juan Luis Beigbeder entrusted this task to Manuel González-Hontoria. Finally, in October 1942 José Pan de Soraluce and José María Doussinague designed the new Diplomatic School, who was approved by minister Francisco Gómez-Jordana Sousa the following month.

Organization

The Diplomatic School is governed by a Governing Board and the Director.

Teaching departments

The Diplomatic School is organized in four departments:
  • The Department for Diplomatic Studies, which provides the necessary training for candidates who have passed the corresponding entrance exams.
  • The Department for Specialized Studies, which is responsible for organizing courses, seminars, and conferences to improve and specialize the training of diplomats and other officials involved in foreign policy.
  • The Department for International Studies, that organizes the International Studies Course and any courses and research programs open to Spanish and foreign candidates who are PhD or Licentiate, whose content is international relations in the legal, historical-political, economic, cultural or linguistic fields and the presence of Spain in the world.
  • The Department for Cultural Action, which aims to promote the work of the Diplomatic School, manage scholarships and the exchange program, and teach foreign languages. It also organizes cultural trips and visits.

Master course

Its main mission is training new Spanish diplomats as civil servants. It also focuses on the training of officials serving abroad and those aspiring to a career in international civil service, among other functions. The Master's degree course in international relations is offered in collaboration with the mainstream Spanish universities, among them the Complutense University of Madrid. Previously the master's degree was titled Curso de Estudios Internacionales, or Course of International Studies, which brings together both Spanish and foreign students in the fields of diplomacy, and imparts a general education focused on international law and international relations.
Admission to the master's degree programme is based on a competitive exam which assesses the candidates knowledge of international relations. There is no fixed syllabus for this exam, rather the questions are based on international affairs at the date of the exam.

Courses

The Diplomatic School of Spain offers the following courses, apart from the selective course for civil servants in diplomatic career:
Each year, the Kings of Spain attend the commencement ceremony together with the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Directors

Directors of the Diplomatic School since 1942:

Student body

Among former students, the following personalities stand out:
Foreign Affairs and Cooperation
People's Party
Literature
  • Santiago de Mora-Figueroa y Williams, Marquess of Tamarón, writer, former ambassador of Spain in United Kingdom and former Director of the Cervantes Institute
  • Fernando Schwartz, novelist
  • José María Ridao, writer and journalist
  • Father Apeles, or José-Apeles Santolaria de Puey y Cruells, lawyer and journalist
  • Isabel Sartorius, aristocrat.

Juristic interpreters

At its headquarters, the annual exams of Juristic Interpreters take place, by the Office of jurors, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Others

The Spanish Association of Professors of International Law and International Relations and the Spanish Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO have their headquarters. There is also the Asociación de antiguos alumnos de la Escuela diplomática