| A
comprehensive training program in commercial diplomacy calls
for courses in many different disciplines- economics, business,
politics, law, media and public relations, international relations,
negotiation and dispute settlement, area studies, foreign
languages and culture. The ICDP web site offers a blueprint
for such a program.
The
model program is structured as a sequence of four distinct
stages of instruction - (i) theory, (ii) institutions, (iii)
techniques and skills, and (iv) integration- which are described
in more detail below. The sequence of the program reflects
the natural progression in the learning process. Students'
knowledge of trade becomes deeper, and not just broader as
they progress through the program. The courses that make up
the model curriculum are described briefly and most course
descriptions are supported by sample course outlines and reading
lists.
Theory. The first stage provides
the intellectual and conceptual foundation for the field of
commercial diplomacy. While it should not be surprising that
stage one involves a heavy dose of economics, the theory stage
also includes courses on politics and on policy analysis.
Institutions.
The second stage introduces the institutional context of trade
and trade policy. Courses cover international and national
trade organizations, regional trading arrangements, and international
trade law. Other courses cover the history of thought on trade,
the history and evolution of trade policy, in-depth analyses
of case law and international institutions.
Skills and Techniques.
In the third stage, students are in a position to combine
their knowledge of economics, politics, law, institutions,
media and culture into a coherent analysis of any international
commercial issue, and to develop an integrated strategy for
advancing - policy prescriptions desired by any stakeholder.
Students also learn how to implement the resulting strategy
through the development of operational documents and the effective
use of advocacy tools such as hearings, press conferences,
coalition building efforts and negotiations. Students learn
to combine the disparate subjects previously covered in ways
that will enable them to function effectively in the private
and public practice of commercial diplomacy. Courses include:
(i) the framing of trade issues; (ii) the art of politics;
(iii) the rhetoric of economics; (iv) relations with press,
public and legislative bodies; and (v) negotiation tactics
and skills. These are skills that trade professionals typically
develop on the job. The purpose of this stage of the program
is to give students a head start in their conversion from
graduate students to professional practitioners.
Integration.
Integration combines three types of courses: (i) courses in
which students participate in simulated trade negotiations,
both in English and in multilingual settings; (ii) an individual
project in which a specific issue is studied in depth, allowing
students to demonstrate their expertise on the multiple facets
that go into becoming a trade professional; (iii) courses
which deal with important current trade issues.
The courses
that make up this model curriculum are described briefly in
the next section. Most course descriptions are supported by
sample course outlines and reading lists.
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