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International Young Diplomats School

A three-day school in Islamabad where students and young professionals learn diplomacy from the people who practise it: ambassadors, diplomats and the heads of international organisations, in their own embassies and offices.

8th IYDS: applications open, dates to be announced

Apply for the 8th IYDS For embassies and organisations

The 7th cohort with the Ambassador of Egypt, Islamabad, May 2026.

7editions since 2016

26countries, plus the EU, have hosted or addressed a cohort

6UN agencies and bodies

46hosted sessions in the last four editions

About the School

Diplomacy, learned where it is practised

The International Young Diplomats School (IYDS) is an immersive diplomacy training programme in Islamabad, Pakistan, for students of International Relations and for early and mid-career professionals who want a practical understanding of diplomacy and global affairs.

It gives participants the chance to learn directly from ambassadors, diplomats, policy makers and decision-makers in international relations. Through expert-led discussions and real-world experience inside embassies, high commissions and the offices of international organisations, participants see how diplomatic missions work, how foreign policy is made, and how citizens can take part.

The School is organised by the Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies (IPDS) every year. It supports the public diplomacy outreach of the foreign missions based in Pakistan while giving the next generation of diplomats, policy professionals and public leaders direct exposure to the world of international affairs.

Format: Three full days of visits and interactive sessions at embassies, high commissions and international organisations
Where: Islamabad, Pakistan
Theme: Building Network of Future Leaders through Public Diplomacy
Who takes part: Students, early and mid-career professionals, business people and young leaders, from Pakistan and abroad
Language: English
Certificate: Certificate of participation, presented at a host mission
Next cohort: 8th IYDS: applications open, dates to be announced

Why it matters

Diplomacy is no longer only for diplomats

The scope of diplomacy keeps widening. It is no longer confined to relations between governments. Business leaders, academics and professionals now play a larger part in relations between nations, but they still need diplomatic skills, and access to the diplomats who can support them.

The School connects members of the public with the diplomatic community, so that they understand their own role in people-to-people and informal diplomacy, and how to carry it out with greater impact.

What the School sets out to do

Give direct access to serving ambassadors, senior diplomats and international policy makers.
Show how diplomatic missions operate, how foreign policy is formulated, and how citizens can engage in the process.
Expose participants to multi-track diplomacy: trade diplomacy, bilateral cooperation and multilateral engagement.
Build lasting networks between participants and the diplomatic community.
Complement academic learning with real-world context that is hard to reproduce in a classroom.

How the three days work

Three days, a dozen conversations

Each day moves between four or five missions and offices across Islamabad. Every session is an interactive conversation with the ambassador or senior officials: a briefing on their country and its relations with Pakistan, followed by open questions. This is how the 7th cohort’s days ran in May 2026.

DAY 1

Opening and bilateral diplomacy

An inaugural session at an embassy, then back-to-back visits.

Embassy of EgyptAmbassador Dr Ihab Mohamed Abdelhamid
Embassy of Bosnia and HerzegovinaAmbassador Emin Čohodarević
Embassy of DenmarkAmbassador Maja Derrous Mortensen
Embassy of the Russian FederationCultural Attaché Gleb Shubin

DAY 2

Regions and the diplomatic corps

Missions from different regions; certificates may be presented by a host ambassador.

Embassy of ZimbabweAmbassador Titus M.J. Abu-Basutu
Embassy of TurkmenistanAmbassador Atadjan Movlamov, Dean of the Diplomatic Corps
Royal Thai EmbassyAmbassador Rongvudhi Virabutr
Embassy of AzerbaijanAmbassador Khazar Farhadov

DAY 3

The multilateral system and the close

The UN system in Pakistan, reflection, and a closing session.

United Nations in PakistanUNFPA, UNICEF and UNDP, led by Dr Gulnara Kadyrkulova, UNFPA Deputy Representative
British High CommissionActing High Commissioner Matt Cannell
Reflection sessionIPDS and the Diplomatic Insight Group

Arranged by IPDS

Visits and protocol

IPDS proposes and agrees every session with the head of mission and observes diplomatic protocol throughout.

Arranged by IPDS

Security clearance

Missions are in secure areas, so participants’ identity details are collected in advance for the required approvals.

Arranged by IPDS

Transport and schedule

Transport between visits is provided. The full daily schedule is shared with confirmed participants.

For participants

What you take away

The School is built for people who will work with other countries in their careers, whether or not they join a foreign service.

Access

Serving ambassadors and heads of international organisations, in conversation, not on a stage.

Inside view

How an embassy is organised, what its sections do, and how bilateral relations are managed day to day.

Range

Missions from every region and the UN system in three days: Europe, Central Asia, the Gulf, Africa, ASEAN, the Americas.

Practice

Protocol, questions and conduct in a real diplomatic setting, which no classroom can replicate.

Network

A cohort of peers from across Pakistan and abroad, and contacts in the diplomatic community.

Recognition

A certificate of participation, and coverage of your cohort by The Diplomatic Insight and IPDS.

Who can apply

Students

Undergraduate and postgraduate students of International Relations, Political Science, Law, Public Policy and related disciplines.

Early and mid-career professionals

In government, development, NGOs and business, who want to deepen their understanding of diplomacy and foreign policy.

Business people and entrepreneurs

Seeking a better understanding of trade diplomacy, economic cooperation and how international relationships shape markets.

Applicants from outside Pakistan are welcome. See fees and application.

For embassies and international organisations

A public diplomacy partnership

For a mission, receiving a cohort is a focused way to reach the people who will shape how Pakistan sees the world: future officials, researchers, entrepreneurs and opinion leaders. A single session of an hour or two, at the mission or the residence, reaches a selected group from across the country, and every session is reported by IPDS’s sister publication, The Diplomatic Insight.

IPDS takes care of everything else: participant selection, the security list, transport, timing and coverage.

How missions partner with the School →

Missions and organisations that have received IYDS cohorts, with the cohorts they hosted

The record

Seven cohorts since 2016

Every cohort, the missions it visited and the people who received it are documented on the Cohorts page, with photographs and reports.

7th12–14 May 2026United States, Egypt, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denmark, Russia, Zimbabwe, Turkmenistan, Thailand, Azerbaijan, UN Resident Coordinator's Office and more→6th9–11 December 2025Austria, Zimbabwe, Russia, UNDP, Nepal, Kazakhstan, UNHCR, ILO, Mauritius, European Union, Thailand, Philippines, United Kingdom→5th13–15 February 2024Philippines, Austria, Indonesia, Turkmenistan, Finland, Kyrgyzstan, UNFPA, Portugal, UNAIDS, Thailand, Denmark, United Kingdom→4th16–18 August 2022Romania, Kyrgyzstan, Iraq, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Palestine, Kazakhstan, Italy, Indonesia, United States→3rd3–5 December 2019Romania, Denmark, Switzerland, Germany→2nd17–19 August 2019The closing session was addressed by Ehsan Ullah Tiwana, Chairman of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, on the pillars of Pakistan’s foreign policy, followed by the award of certificates.→1st22–24 August 2016The first School brought together emerging diplomats, young professionals and students for expert lectures and interactive sessions, including a session on the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.→

See every cohort in full →

Record updated 30 September 2026.

Voices

In their words

An embassy is a bridge between two countries.

Ambassador Dr Ihab Mohamed Abdelhamid, Egypt7th IYDS, 2026

Diplomacy is not just confined to signing agreements.

Ambassador Rongvudhi Virabutr, Thailand7th IYDS, 2026

Young people are not a homogenous group.

Dr Gulnara Kadyrkulova, Deputy Representative, UNFPA Pakistan7th IYDS, 2026

These past three days have been a beautiful learning experience filled with meaningful interactions and memories.

Talha A. Goraya7th IYDS participant

A Mela of Diplomats.

Waleed Khan Tarakai, describing the School to his family7th IYDS participant

Gallery

Cohorts at the missions

6th cohort, Austrian Ambassadors residence, 2025 — 6th cohort, Austrian Ambassador’s residence, 2025

UN Resident Coordinators Office, 2026 — UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, 2026

More photographs on the Cohorts page →

8th IYDS

Applications are open for the next cohort

Dates for the 8th IYDS will be announced shortly. Apply now and IPDS will write to shortlisted applicants with the dates and payment details. Places are limited, and the first five confirmed participants receive a 15% early-bird discount.

Apply now Fees, terms and process

Based in Pakistan

Rs. 45,000

Programme fee, payable only once you are offered a place.

Joining from abroad

USD 250

Programme fee. Travel, visa and accommodation are arranged by you.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

What is the International Young Diplomats School?

A three-day programme run by the Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies (IPDS) in Islamabad, in which participants visit embassies, high commissions and international organisations for interactive sessions with ambassadors and senior officials. Seven cohorts have been held since 2016, with missions and organisations of 26 countries, the European Union and 6 UN agencies and bodies.

Who can take part?

Students of International Relations, Political Science, Law, Public Policy and related fields; early and mid-career professionals in government, development, NGOs and business; and entrepreneurs interested in trade diplomacy. Applicants from outside Pakistan are welcome.

How long is it, and where?

Three full days in Islamabad. Dates for each cohort are announced on this website and IPDS’s social media channels.

How much does it cost?

The programme fee is Rs. 45,000 for participants based in Pakistan and USD 250 for participants joining from abroad. It covers coordination, transport between visits, programme materials and the arrangements with the missions. It is paid only after you are offered a place.

Do I receive a certificate?

Yes. Participants who complete the programme receive a certificate of participation, usually presented by an ambassador or head of mission at one of the host missions.

Is the IYDS a diplomacy course or a training programme?

It is a practical diplomacy training programme rather than a classroom course. Participants learn on site, in embassies, high commissions and UN offices, through interactive sessions with the ambassadors and officials who run them, and receive a certificate of participation from IPDS.

Which embassies have hosted the IYDS?

Missions and organisations that have received IYDS cohorts include the embassies and high commissions of Austria, Denmark, Egypt, Indonesia, Italy, Kazakhstan, the Philippines, Russia, Thailand, Turkmenistan, the United Kingdom, the United States and Zimbabwe, the Delegation of the European Union, and UNDP, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNAIDS and the ILO. The full list, cohort by cohort, is on the Partner Missions page.

When is the next International Young Diplomats School?

Applications are open for the 8th IYDS, to be held in Islamabad. Dates will be announced on this page and emailed to shortlisted applicants.

How can an embassy or international organisation take part?

Missions partner with the School by receiving a cohort for a session, hosting the inaugural or closing session, or giving a country briefing. Write to info@ipd.org.pk; the details are on the Partner Missions page.

More on fees, payment and refunds: Fees and application.

Know someone who should be in the next cohort?

Send them this page. Universities, alumni networks and missions are welcome to share it with their students and contacts.

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Learn diplomacy from the people who practise it

The International Young Diplomats School is a flagship programme of the Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies, Islamabad.

Apply for the 8th IYDS Partner with the School

IYDS overview Cohorts 2016–2026 Partner missions Fees and application All Programs Research Fellowship Contact IPDS

International Young Diplomats School

Diplomacy, learned where it is practised

Diplomacy is no longer only for diplomats

Three days, a dozen conversations

Opening and bilateral diplomacy

Regions and the diplomatic corps

The multilateral system and the close

Visits and protocol

Security clearance

Transport and schedule

What you take away

Students

Early and mid-career professionals

Business people and entrepreneurs

A public diplomacy partnership

Seven cohorts since 2016

In their words

Cohorts at the missions

Applications are open for the next cohort

Frequently asked questions

Know someone who should be in the next cohort?

Learn diplomacy from the people who practise it

Research, dialogues and opportunities from IPDS

Stay informed on diplomacy and global affairs