With the arrival of the New Year, the BIDTI welcomed a new batch of participants on the 17th of April 2023, who joined the XXVIIth Diploma in Diplomacy &World Affairs Course.
Following a documentary depicting the activities of the BIDTI, the Director General Ambassador Pamela J. Deen spoke about the course and the opportunities it can offer. She explained what the participants could expect from following the course and the real- world benefits of being part of the programme.
Former participant of the programme and the recipient of the Sirimavo Bandaranaike award of the XXIInd Diploma in Diplomacy & World Affairs Course, Ms. Lihini Boteju then spoke of her own experience of following the programme. She offered words of encouragement to participants to face this new chapter in their lives with interest, curiosity and ingenuity.
Following refreshments and mingling, the inaugural lecture on ‘An Introduction to Diplomacy’ commenced. It was delivered by Dr. George Cooke who is a former Foreign Service Officer, Diplomatic Historian and Strategist and a renowned, author and editor. Dr. Cooke’s lecture acquainted the participants with the world of Diplomacy including all it compasses, its effects and the origins of modern diplomacy in Sri Lanka.