Understanding International Diplomacy Theory, Practice and Ethics

PART I: INTRODUCTION  1 Why and how to study diplomacy  PART II: TRACING DIPLOMACY  2 Historical Evolution  3 Central Themes of Diplomatic Thought  4 Expansion and Contraction of Diplomacy  PART III: MAPPING DIPLOMACY  5 Contexts of Diplomacy  6 Tasks of Global Diplomacy  PART IV: EXPLAINING DIPLOMACY  7 Making Judgments  8 Making Relations  9 Making Order  PART V: REMAKING DIPLOMACY 10 The Digital Turn  11 Crises in the Inter-epoch  12 Diplomatic Power  PART VI: CONCLUSION  13 The Philosophy of Diplomacy

Biography

Corneliu Bjola is Professor of Digital Diplomacy at the University of Oxford, UK, and the Head of the Oxford Digital Diplomacy Research Group. His most recent publications include the Oxford Handbook of Digital Diplomacy (2023) and Digital International Relations: Technology, Agency and Order (2023).

Markus Kornprobst is Professor of International Relations at the Vienna School of International Studies, Austria. He is the author of Irredentism in European Politics (2008) and Co-managing International Crises (2019) and co-editor of ten books and publishes in leading journals in diplomacy and international relations.

Praise for the Second Edition:

‘Writing with clarity, authority and insight Bjola and Kornprobst deliver the essential introduction to the study and practice of diplomacy. The welcome second edition includes new scholarship and tackles the emerging issues that are defining our time including migration and the crises in Syria and Ukraine. No less significantly, the volume also considers new techniques of diplomacy from social media to the emergence of cities as foreign policy actors. This book is an invaluable guide to a vital field.’-- Nicholas J. Cull, Professor of Public Diplomacy, University of Southern California.

'In many ways superior to the original, the revised edition updates the evolution and transformation of diplomacy, more balanced in theory and practice, wide in scope and succinct in narration, a rich menu for both students and practitioners of diplomacy.' -- Zhang Qingmin, Professor and Chair, Department of Diplomacy Peking University

'Adopting a broad understanding of diplomacy and taking us on an exciting tour — from foreign policy implementation to ethics, from bilateral engagements to plurilateral and paradiplomatic ones, from traditional channels to new forms of diplomatic communication —　Understanding International Diplomacy　is a welcome and valuable addition to the expanding field of diplomatic studies. It provides an excellent introduction and essential textbook for both the reflexive practitioner and the intellectually curious student of diplomacy.'--Costas M. Constantinou, Professor of International Relations, University of Cyprus

Praise for the First Edition:

'An invaluable volume for all those studying the critical endeavour of diplomacy in today's changing world.'--Javier Solana, former NATO Secretary General, ex-European Union High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy

'In this fascinating book, Bjola and Kornprobst offer a fresh perspective on the study of diplomacy as a form of institutionalized communication. Drawing insight from multiple disciplines, it presents a sophisticated overview of both the history and contemporary practice of diplomacy. The cases studies add texture to a theory-driven account of what remains a critically important dimension of international life.' -- Ian Johnstone, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, USA

'Understanding International Diplomacy: Theory, Practice and Ethics deserves a prominent place on the bookshelf of every serious student of diplomacy. Corneliu Bjola and Markus Kornprobst have produced a study that is simultaneously sophisticated and accessible. Their conception of diplomacy as institutionalised communication captures its similarities to, but also its differences from, other forms of transnational dialogue, and allows them to explore changes in the character of diplomacy in the contemporary world in a richly-textured fashion. Scholars and practitioners alike will draw on the authors' insights for years to come.' -- William Maley, Director, Asia-Pacific College of Diplomacy, The Australian National University

'Bjola and Kornprobst have done the academic and diplomatic communities the great service of producing a clear text which deals not only with what diplomacy and diplomats do, but with how they contribute to making the international world as it is and as it ought to be.' -- Paul Sharp, University of Minnesota, USA

'All those concerned with the study or teaching of diplomacy and foreign policy will want to consult this excellent book, which comprehensively discusses the most relevant and topical aspects of the subject; a precious teaching tool as well as a valuable handbook.'-- Basil Germond, Lancaster University, UK 

'Understanding International Diplomacy: Theory, Practice and Ethics fills in gap in the study of diplomacy and will be a useful addition for those interested in the conduct of international relations.' -- Nabil Ayad, Director, London Academy of Diplomacy, University of East Anglia, UK