On Oct. 15 – 16, the Grace School of Applied Diplomacy at DePaul will host its first conference. The virtual two-day event will focus on transprofessional diplomacy strategies and implementation. It is free and open to all members of the university community. RSVPs are required.
The conference will build off of “Transprofessional Diplomacy," a collaborative volume by Costas M. Constantinou, Noé Cornago and Fiona McConnell. While nation-state diplomatic representatives continue the vital work of practicing diplomacy as it has been traditionally understood, diplomatic actors today also include businesspeople, scientists, artists, educators, religious leaders, social workers, community organizers and activists.
"Our speakers include some of the most dynamic citizen diplomats and progressive scholars of diplomacy in the world. Our first panel will feature all three authors of 'Transprofessional Diplomacy,' the text that inspired our curriculum," says David Wellman, director of The Grace School. “The mission of the Grace School includes the promotion of discourse and collaboration among all types of diplomatic actors across multiple boundaries of difference. This conference is an effort to embody that goal."
The event will explore different strategies proposed and employed by practitioners and scholars of diplomacy to promote transprofessional cooperation. Organizers hope the conference will provide tools for deeper cooperation as the country continues to confront challenges, including the rise of nationalism, racial and economic inequality, the fear of religious and ethnic difference, and the manner in which these phenomena have been amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The conference schedule will be sent out to attendees after registration.