Expert Course in Foreign Policy and International Action, Cooperation, and International Organizations

One hundred teaching units, 60 minutes of lecture, and 30 minutes of discussion; Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00 PM to 7:30 PM; January 14 to May 22, 2025; Serrano Street 208, Madrid 28002; delivered by Secretaries of State, Ambassadors of Spain, University Professors, Diplomats, National and International Officials, and other Professionals.

From the moment of enrollment, access will be granted to the course materials for the introduction to business accounting and finance.

The themes and faculty selected, as well as the approach given to various issues, are aimed at career opportunities related to diplomatic and consular management, development cooperation, and missions entrusted to various international organizations.

Regarding competitive exams, this course will be very useful for those interested in entering the ‘Diplomatic Career,’ the ‘Economist and Commercial Technicians’ track, the ‘Civil Administration’ (both national and regional) at various levels, as well as accessing jobs in consular management, and in development cooperation.

Module I.- From Classical Diplomacy to Contemporary Diplomacies (Director and sole speaker, Gonzalo de Benito)

1. History of Spanish Diplomacy: from ‘Pax Romana’ to contemporary diplomacy.
2. Economic diplomacy and support for businesses.
3. Development cooperation.
4. Cultural and scientific diplomacy.
5. The Spanish language in the world.
6. Diplomacy of security and Armed Forces.
7. Public and digital diplomacy.
8. Diplomacy and mediation.
9. Diplomacy for a new era.
10. Strategic planning and unity of action abroad. Presidential and parliamentary diplomacy. The system of external projection.

Module II.- Foreign Policy (1978 -2024) (Director, Inocencio-Félix Arias)

1. The foreign policy of democracy, the end of isolation. (IF. Arias)
2. Spain’s place in the Western world. (IF. Arias)
3. Europe as a protagonist…and a supporting role. (García-Berdoy)
4. Breakdown of the international order: the new Cold War. (IF. Arias)
5. China makes a strong entry into the Champions League. (Leña)
6. Iran at a crossroads. (Luis Felipe Fernández de la Peña)
7. The drama of the Middle East. (Portero)
8. The United States, retrenchment, and polarization. (IF. Arias)
9. The division of the Ibero-American planet. (Pico de Coaña)
10. Media and international politics. (Armada)

Module III.- State External Action (Directors, Martin Ortega and Carlos Uriarte)

1. The constitutional and legal framework of the State’s external action: the Head of State, the Government, and the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defence. (M. Ortega)
2. The role of the Cortes Generales in treaty ratification: treaty constitutionality. (M. Ortega)
3. The external action of the Autonomous Communities as a complement to the State’s external action. (M. Ortega)
4. Dimensions of diplomacy in the State’s external action. (M. Ortega)
5. The role of civil society in foreign policy: think tanks and universities. (M. Ortega)
6. The main lines of Spain’s external action and its evolution. (C. Uriarte)
7. Spain’s external action through the EU. The EU’s foreign, security, and defense policy. (C. Uriarte)
8. Spain’s external action in relation to Ibero-America. (C. Uriarte)
9. External action in the Mediterranean, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. (C. Uriarte)
10. Spain’s role in the world. The State’s external action in the face of challenges in a multipolar international scenario. (C. Uriarte)

Module IV.- Consular Functions (Directors, Javier Jiménez-Ugarte, and José Ramón García Hernández)

1. The regime of incompatibilities in the General State Administration. (José Luis Fuentes)
2. Introduction to the consular function. History of the consular function, Vienna Convention, basic concepts. (JR. García)
3. Spanish nationality. (JJU)
4. Assistance and protection of Spaniards (I). RMC, electoral processes, detainees. (JJU)
5. Assistance and protection of Spaniards (II). Transfer of corpses, aids, special protection for women and minors. The consular emergency. (JJU)
6. The Consular Civil Register and the notarial function of Consuls. (JJU)
7. Consular cooperation. International legal cooperation. Documentary cooperation. (JJU)
8. Short and long-term visas. (JJU)
9. Contentious resources against consular resolutions on visas. (Alberto Quintana)
10. The functioning of Consulates. Our consular network and that of countries in our environment, organization, staffing. (JR. García)

Module V.- European Union (Director and sole speaker, Juan Prat)

1. Birth, evolution, and current nature of the EU.
2. Sui generis characteristics of the Commission.
3. The European Parliament. The Economic and Social Committee. The EEAS.
4. The COREPER and the Councils of Ministers. The European Council.
5. The CJEU and its evolution.
6. The EIB.
7. The Court of Auditors, OLAF, and other control bodies.
8. The role of Europe’s regions in the EU.
9. Specialized agencies.
10. EURATOM, CERN, and other institutions.

Module VI.- International Organizations (Director, Marian Caracuel Raya)

1. ONU and the Counter-Terrorism Committee of the Security Council. (Rupérez)
2. OTAN and COPS (Marian Caracuel)
3. World Trade Organization. (WTO). (C. Fernández Rozas)
4. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). (Martínez Solimán)
5. (A. Bañón)
6. International Organizations based in Washington. (Cabanas)
7. Ibero-American Conferences. (Villalonga)
8. Unit of International Officials of the MAEC. (Bassols)
9. Human Rights. (Aida Fonseca)

Inaugural Lectures for the various Modules.

1. Fernando de Almansa
2. José Ramón García Hernández
3. Miguel Benzo and Javier Casas
4. Santiago Martínez Lage
5. Sandra Gandara
6. Alberto Sala

Other Lectures

Yago Pico de Coaña, Juan Leña, Pablo García Berdoy, Alfonso Armada, Luis Felipe Fernández de la Peña, Florentino Portero, Jose Luis Fuentes, Alberto Quintana, Maria Bassols, José Carlos Fernández Rozas, Arancha Bañón, Santiago Cabanas, Javier Rupérez, Magdy Martínez Solimán, Fernando Villalonga, Dolores Algora, Aida Fonseca y Antonio Viñals.

Module Directors

I- Gonzalo de Benito. ‘Former Secretary of State. Ambassador of Spain.’

II.- Inocencio Félix Arias. ‘Former Secretary of State. Ambassador of Spain.’

III.- Martín Ortega and Carlos Uriarte. ‘Professor at Complutense University’ and ‘Professor at Rey Juan Carlos University,’ respectively.

IV.- Javier Jiménez-Ugarte. ‘Former SEGENPOL. Ambassador of Spain’ and José Ramón García Hernández ‘Diplomat, parliamentarian, Former Ambassador of Spain.’

V.- Juan Prat. ‘Former Senior Official at the EU Commission. Former Permanent Representative to NATO. Ambassador of Spain.’

VI.- Marian Caracuel Raya. ‘President of the Security and Defense Association.’

Inaugural Lectures for the respective Modules:

I.- Fernando de Almansa. ‘Former Chief of the Royal Household. Ambassador of Spain.’

II.- José Ramón García Hernández. ‘Former National Parliamentarian for Ávila. Former Ambassador of Spain.’

III.- Miguel Benzo. Ambassador of Spain and Javier Casas, senior official in Cooperation (AECID)

IV.- Santiago Martínez Lage. ‘Ex-diplomat, practicing lawyer, and international arbitrator.’

V.- Sandra Gandara. ‘Former EU official, registered with ICAM.’

VI.- Alberto Sala. ‘Former United Nations official.’