From March to May 2023, the Permanent Mission of Italy to the OSCE organised the second edition of the cycle of seminars on the OSCE titled: “The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) as a model for multilateral regional diplomacy”.
Coordinated by the Permanent Representative of Italy to the OSCE, Amb. Stefano Baldi, the cycle of seminars was held virtually in English and consisted of 20 hours of training divided into lectures on the OSCE’s operation and workshops/interactive sessions on more specific topics (“case studies”), enabling participants to learn about the role and strengths of the Organization.
Ninety students from thirteen Italian universities and the University of San Marino actively took part in the cycle. The universities involved were: University of Perugia, Roma Tre University, University of Siena, University of Pavia, University of Bologna, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, University of Florence, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna of Pisa, University of Trento, Bocconi University in Milan, Luiss Guido Carli University, University of Trieste, University of San Marino, and University of Padua.
Ambassador Stefano Baldi presented the outcomes of the seminar cycle to the other OSCE participating States at a Permanent Council meeting, stressing that the initiative’s main objectives are to promote understanding of the OSCE’s role and activities and to strengthen cooperation between diplomacy and academia. Because of its pragmatic approach, the cycle also provides an opportunity to explore aspects and tools of multilateral diplomacy in the specific context of the OSCE.
The seminars’ speakers included diplomats from the Permanent Representation of Italy to the OSCE, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, Italian officials working at the OSCE, other OSCE experts as well as university professors. The cycle of seminars ended with a round table discussion on the role and future of the OSCE, which was attended by Permanent Representatives of other participating States.
At the end of the cycle, the students submitted a final evaluation questionnaire and gave a very positive feedback. The responses confirmed the validity and general praise of the initiative, in particular regarding the workshops/interactive sessions and the insight into job opportunities for young people at the OSCE.
