BIDTI – ‘A Truly Remarkable Experience’

Does it make sense to talk about warfare without the understanding of multilateral relations among states? What about the association that impacts peacebuilding through public diplomacy? These topics have created an endless fascination in me since my high school days of Model UN to representing my university at the National UN, New York and the Harvard UN, Rome leading me to a keen interest in what revolves around us through questioning the linkage between a vast majority of subjects.

There was a great force in me to pursue the understanding of how these topics affect our nation and the history that lies upon it. With my desire to pursue a career in the Sri Lankan foreign service I came across BIDTI that offered the course I longed for. It had an exemplary structure of topics that covered a wide variety of understanding.

As eager as I was, I would turn up early to grab a front row seat. It was exciting and I was amazed by the diverse group of colleagues (friends) I met that had similar interests but with the most intense debates of our views and opinions. It always kept our class entertained.

They came from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds that allowed us to interact and understanding different perceptions distinctly. Another portion that brightened our time at BIDTI was the teatime NESCAFE indeed!

BIDTI has always excelled of providing an exceptional panel of lecturers that included Ambassadors, High Commissioners, Senior government officials/ representatives, Senior Academic Lecturers and Artists. We were able to question our practical and theoretical experiences with them to gain a better understanding of the subject. It is truly a remarkable institute, and it still stands high as the country’s premier diplomacy training institute since early 90’s.

We were extremely lucky to have completed majority of the course in a physical classroom just before the Covid Virus widespread. With the struggles to adapt to the new normal, BIDTI never failed in providing us an online platform to complete the course. Our examinations were held at the class hall as usual with the mandatory safety and precautionary measures.

This course conveys the subject matter with a degree of authenticity that imbues its students with a sense of purpose and a confidence needed to begin changing the world for the better as diplomats.

By Sonali Weerasinghe

Special Award Winner of the Diploma in Diplomacy & World Affairs Course

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Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute

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