Department of Diplomatic Sciences

Understanding the international system, interpreting its transformations and training professionals capable of acting competently in diplomatic, institutional and multilateral contexts: this is the mission of the Department of Diplomatic Sciences at Campus HETG. The Department develops an interdisciplinary educational pathway in which history, law, economics, political science, geopolitics, languages and professional skills engage with the new frontiers of digital diplomacy, artificial intelligence, open-source analysis and strategic communication.

Under the guidance of His Excellency Cav. Prof. Luca Caruso, the Department interprets diplomatic education as a rigorous, progressive and concrete process: broad cultural preparation, a reliable analytical method and constant attention to the skills required to operate in complex international scenarios.

Objectives of the Department

The Department of Diplomatic Sciences was established to offer an educational pathway capable of combining the classical heritage of diplomatic studies with the challenges of the twenty-first century. Contemporary diplomacy operates in a space in which bilateral relations, international organisations, the European Union, humanitarian cooperation, trade, energy, security, the environment, global health, digital technologies and public communication are increasingly interdependent.

The approach promoted by H.E. Prof. Luca Caruso places particular emphasis on practical application: students are supported in acquiring tools to read international dossiers, draft institutional documents, deliver a briefing, conduct a negotiation, understand protocol and ceremonial practice, assess sources, use data and indicators, communicate in crisis contexts and recognise the impact of technological transformations on diplomatic action.

An interdisciplinary Department oriented towards innovation

The educational offer was built on a reasoned international benchmarking of the leading university pathways in diplomacy, foreign service, international affairs, international relations, global governance and strategic studies. This comparison highlights the need to preserve a solid historical, legal, political and economic core, while reinforcing it with skills that remain partial or optional in many programmes.

Within the educational model supported by H.E. Caruso, central roles are therefore assigned to cyberdiplomacy, the governance of artificial intelligence, OSINT, data literacy, countering disinformation, climate, scientific and health diplomacy, geoeconomics, consular protection, multilateral negotiation and the ability to operate in a crisis room.

Educational areas

• Historical, legal, economic and political-science foundations of international relations.
• Professional languages for diplomacy, institutional writing and public speaking.
• Geopolitics, area studies and comparative understanding of regional dynamics.
• International law, European Union law, international organisations, immunities, protocol and consular protection.
• Negotiation, mediation, public diplomacy, strategic communication and crisis management.
• Quantitative and qualitative methods, data analysis, OSINT, cyberdiplomacy and the governance of artificial intelligence.
• Geoeconomics, sanctions, international trade, value chains, energy and economic security.
• Climate, scientific, health and humanitarian diplomacy, and international cooperation.

 

The Presidency of the Department

The Department values the institutional direction provided by its President, His Excellency Cav. Prof. Luca Caruso, whose professional profile combines diplomatic experience, mediation skills, entrepreneurial activity, organisational leadership and close attention to digital transformations. His experience in technological innovation, digital education and applied intelligence projects strengthens the Department’s orientation towards a form of diplomacy capable of understanding new informational and decision-making environments.

His Excellency’s vision supports a model of learning in which academic knowledge is not separated from institutional responsibility: theoretical preparation becomes a capacity for service; language proficiency becomes an instrument of representation; knowledge of the law becomes awareness of the limits and opportunities of international action; and technological innovation becomes a subject of critical and ethical evaluation.

Educational offer

The Department offers two coordinated programmes: the Bachelor’s Degree in Diplomatic Sciences, organised over three years and 180 ECTS, and the Master’s Degree in Diplomatic Sciences, organised over two years and 120 ECTS. The two curricula are conceived as a progression: the first cycle builds disciplinary and professional foundations; the second cycle consolidates advanced analytical capacity, negotiation, dossier management and policy design.

The Bachelor’s Degree in Diplomatic Sciences is designed with reference to the interdisciplinary education typical of the L-36 class and distributes 180 ECTS over six semesters. The pathway combines political science, international history, law, economics, sociology, geopolitics, research methods and professional languages. Its teaching progression gradually leads towards diplomatic practice: briefing, multilateral negotiation, protocol, consular law, OSINT, cyberdiplomacy, artificial intelligence, crisis simulation, internship and final capstone.

According to the approach supported by the President, the first cycle must provide students not only with knowledge, but also with a professional vocabulary, a working method and an initial concrete experience of the responsibilities connected with representation and international cooperation.

The Master’s Degree in Diplomatic Sciences develops a two-year, 120-ECTS pathway oriented towards advanced education. The curriculum integrates theory and practice of diplomacy, international law, geoeconomics, global governance, comparative foreign policy, security, non-classified intelligence analysis, regional studies, sanctions, trade diplomacy, public diplomacy, countering disinformation, protocol, consular protection and an applied final project.

The perspective promoted by His Excellency Caruso values the ability to work on multidimensional dossiers: the contemporary diplomat must be able to connect law, economics, politics, technology, communication and operational crisis management, producing readable, well-argued and decision-oriented analyses.

Teaching method

The Department’s teaching integrates lectures, case studies, documentary analysis, writing workshops, language exercises, multilateral simulations, moot negotiation, crisis room and applied final assignments. The aim is to develop disciplined judgement: distinguishing data from interpretations, assessing the reliability of sources, understanding the interests at stake, building scenarios, arguing a position and identifying sustainable solutions.

Within this architecture, the guidance of His Excellency Luca Caruso helps maintain a balance between diplomatic tradition and innovation: protocol and ceremonial practice engage with digital communication; international law engages with geoeconomics; languages engage with public speaking; and historical knowledge engages with foresight analysis and the governance of artificial intelligence.

Human rights, cooperation and international responsibility

The Department recognises human rights, humanitarian principles and international cooperation as essential reference points for diplomatic education. This sensitivity is consistent with the documented external activities of the President of the Department, His Excellency Cav. Prof. Luca Caruso. Within the Diplomatic Solidart Foundation (DSF), of which he is co-founder and President, President Caruso signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Human Rights And Humanitarian Federation (NHRF), India, aimed at promoting human-rights education, capacity building, research, advocacy, international cooperation, events, conferences and workshops, as well as other Memoranda of Understanding with the Corpo Nazionale di Soccorso Universo Humanitas and OIDEC INTERNATIONAL GROUP (Organizzazione Internazionale Diplomatica e Consolare); relations are currently also maintained with IDI ISTITUTO DIPLOMATICO INTERNAZIONALE and INTERPOL Serbia.

This attention is reflected in the culture of the Department: educating for diplomacy means preparing people capable of representing institutions and communities with competence, balance, respect for differences and awareness of the consequences of public decisions.

Career paths and skills

The Department’s programmes prepare students for the study and in-depth exploration of diplomatic, consular, international and public affairs functions, as well as for analysis, cooperation, planning, institutional communication, dossier management and decision-support activities. The skills acquired may be relevant in institutional contexts, international organisations, the third sector, research centres, think tanks, organisations engaged in cooperation and private-sector structures operating in international markets and regulatory environments.

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