Young Diplomats Academy lifts lid on envoy’s world
The Korea Herald Young Diplomats Academy and the Young Opinion Leaders’ Knowledge Forum -- youth camps tailored to live interaction with foreign diplomats, business leaders, renowned scholars and legal experts -- inspired future generations of leaders last month.
The venue at Yonsei International Campus in Songdo, Incheon, from Jan. 22-24 attracted over 200 students from the country’s elementary, middle and high schools, providing a platform for differentiated learning, discussion and communication in English.
For the academy, in its sixth year, German Ambassador to Korea Rolf Mafael and British Embassy spokesperson Nick Duvivier shared their experiences as diplomats, joined by several other professionals.
The program invites foreign diplomats in Korea to elucidate their acumen and knowledge on international issues and engage students, who are given opportunities to permanently publish their articles on The Korea Herald online website, receive awards by the paper’s chief executive officer and managing editor and be presented with volunteer certificates.
Titled “Life of a Diplomat: Excitement or Exhaustion,” Mafael expounded his career as Germany’s top envoy to Korea, highlighting his challenges and accomplishments in solving global issues for his country and the world.
“The most important skill for a diplomat is having shrewd knowledge of people and politics,” the ambassador told students. “You have to meet experts in every field and examine, scrutinize and adjust to different situations for optimal results. Diplomacy is about striking a balance between diverse interests to produce an outcome acceptable to everyone.”
Mafael, who before joining the Foreign Service in 1985 worked as a state prosecutor, said his job was “extremely challenging,” yet also “incredibly interesting.” One of the main challenges of being an envoy according to him is moving to different countries for posting, which often requires family sacrifice, particularly for the spouse.
German Ambassador to Korea Rolf Mafael at the 6th Korea Herald Young Diplomats Academy at Yonsei International Campus in Songdo, Incheon, in late January. (Korea Herald)
He also explained key concepts such as multilateral and bilateral diplomacy, citing as examples the Paris climate agreement, the World Trade Organization, the Conference on Disarmament, the European Commission and the North Korean nuclear threat.
Students asked scores of questions, covering the new Cold War, Syrian refugees, inter-Korean relations and the ambassador’s own struggles, which he answered in depth with attention.
Germany, as a country that achieved national reunification in 1989 with erstwhile communist East Germany, shared its lessons to facilitate the Korean Peninsula’s anticipated unification, he noted, adding that the bilateral relations have been deepening comprehensively through political, economic, cultural, scientific and educational cooperation.
The young opinion leaders’ forum is for middle and high school students, and comprised of lectures by experts in law, media, business and diplomacy, among other fields. For more information on the next round of academy and forum, which will take place in August, visit www.heraldn.com or call (02) 1644-2676.
By Joel Lee (joel@heraldcorp.com)
The venue at Yonsei International Campus in Songdo, Incheon, from Jan. 22-24 attracted over 200 students from the country’s elementary, middle and high schools, providing a platform for differentiated learning, discussion and communication in English.
For the academy, in its sixth year, German Ambassador to Korea Rolf Mafael and British Embassy spokesperson Nick Duvivier shared their experiences as diplomats, joined by several other professionals.
The program invites foreign diplomats in Korea to elucidate their acumen and knowledge on international issues and engage students, who are given opportunities to permanently publish their articles on The Korea Herald online website, receive awards by the paper’s chief executive officer and managing editor and be presented with volunteer certificates.
Titled “Life of a Diplomat: Excitement or Exhaustion,” Mafael expounded his career as Germany’s top envoy to Korea, highlighting his challenges and accomplishments in solving global issues for his country and the world.
“The most important skill for a diplomat is having shrewd knowledge of people and politics,” the ambassador told students. “You have to meet experts in every field and examine, scrutinize and adjust to different situations for optimal results. Diplomacy is about striking a balance between diverse interests to produce an outcome acceptable to everyone.”
Mafael, who before joining the Foreign Service in 1985 worked as a state prosecutor, said his job was “extremely challenging,” yet also “incredibly interesting.” One of the main challenges of being an envoy according to him is moving to different countries for posting, which often requires family sacrifice, particularly for the spouse.
He also explained key concepts such as multilateral and bilateral diplomacy, citing as examples the Paris climate agreement, the World Trade Organization, the Conference on Disarmament, the European Commission and the North Korean nuclear threat.
Students asked scores of questions, covering the new Cold War, Syrian refugees, inter-Korean relations and the ambassador’s own struggles, which he answered in depth with attention.
Germany, as a country that achieved national reunification in 1989 with erstwhile communist East Germany, shared its lessons to facilitate the Korean Peninsula’s anticipated unification, he noted, adding that the bilateral relations have been deepening comprehensively through political, economic, cultural, scientific and educational cooperation.
The young opinion leaders’ forum is for middle and high school students, and comprised of lectures by experts in law, media, business and diplomacy, among other fields. For more information on the next round of academy and forum, which will take place in August, visit www.heraldn.com or call (02) 1644-2676.
By Joel Lee (joel@heraldcorp.com)
(责任编辑:资讯)
推荐文章
-
This shark lives for centuries. Scientists discover how it resists aging.
There are Greenland sharks older than the United States.This deep sea species has an expected lifesp ...[详细] -
Why some viruses die out in summer, but others thrive
It's increasingly clear that summer won't quell the new coronavirus. (Sorry.)The preponderance of re ...[详细] -
Thanks, Trump: I guess we are cool with George W. Bush now
Here's a fun reality in Donald Trump's America: the new crown jewel of our talk show circuit is pain ...[详细] -
Thanks, Trump: I guess we are cool with George W. Bush now
Here's a fun reality in Donald Trump's America: the new crown jewel of our talk show circuit is pain ...[详细] -
NASA says Earth just had the hottest day ever recorded
In the 1800s, pioneering scientists foresaw how carbon in the air could warm Earth. By 1938, English ...[详细] -
Rybakina, Khachanov first into Australian Open semis
MELBOURNE:Big-serving Elena Rybakina blasted her way into the Australian Open semi-finals on Tuesday ...[详细] -
South Koreans to march against president on Christmas Eve
Large crowds of South Koreans were expected to march in the streets on Saturday, calling for the per ...[详细] -
Ronaldo, Messi roll back the years in thriller
RIYADH:Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi transported fans back in time to the heyday of their stori ...[详细] -
Swifties for Kamala raises over $100,000 in donations for Harris campaign
An estimated 27,000 Swifties gathered last night, not for the Eras Tour, but to rally for the electi ...[详细] -
10月24日上午,第十一届全国人大常委会第十七次会议第一次全体会议首次审议车船税法草案,乘用车拟改为按排气量大小征税以代替现行统一计税的车船税改革方案。一石激起千层浪。虽然车船税的改变征收打破了过去“ ...[详细]
热点阅读
随机内容