EDU.INT
INTER-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION
BELGIUM
EDU Secretary-General agrees to cooperation with ISPD
H.E. Irving Levance, Secretary-General of the Intergovernmental Organization EDU, personally visited and inspected the facilities of the International School of Protocol and Diplomacy (ISPD) in Brussels. It is conveniently located a short walk from the European Parliament, the European Commission and the European Council.
The ISPD has completed it fourth academic year of operation and in that time has developed a good reputation as Europe’s leading academic institution solely dedicated to studies in the fields of protocol, diplomacy and cross cultural relations. It is partnered with Camilo José Cela University in Spain, the only University that currently offers degree programmes solely in protocol.
The ISPD calls upon, as lecturers, an impressive list of leading experts from the fields of international relations, procedures and conventions such as the former European Union Ambassador to the Holy See, the former Chief of Royal Protocol of Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands, the former Chief of Protocol of the European Commission, the Head of Information at the International Criminal Court, the former Belgian Ambassador to China, and the Head of Protocol of the European Parliament.
Ambassador Luis Ritto, the Academic Director (Dean) who is the former European Union Ambassador to the Holy See, the Order of Malta and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), is photographed with the Secretary-General of EDU.
The Coordinating Team is headed by Ambassador Luis Ritto, the Academic Director (Dean) who is the former European Union Ambassador to the Holy See, the Order of Malta and the Food and Agriculture Organization; and Inês Pires-Urquiza, ISPD’s Executive Director and Founder. She was the advisor to the former Vice-President of the European Parliament José Pacheco Pereira and then later of Vasco Graça Moura. She is an expert in Asian Protocol, cross-cultural awareness and intercultural dialogue. In his capacity as Dean Ambassador Ritto is currently involved in the unique challenge of developing an outstanding international curriculum. ispdnetwork.org
The ISPD currently offers a Master of Arts in Protocol and Soft Diplomacy Skills and also a Post Graduate Certificate in Protocol.
The MA and PG programmes have been running in Spain for the last ten years, and in Belgium for the last three in cooperation with the University Camilo José Cela, based in Madrid, which offers a variety of courses in a wide range of academic subjects. Diplomas are issued by the University Camilo José Cela once the courses have been completed in the Brussels facilities.
Both programmes, the MA and the PG, are recognized in the whole of the EU, since the university is registered at and accredited by the Spanish Ministry of Education.
The ISPD also runs tailor-made Executive Diploma Programmes, Seminars and Workshops.
