CPDS was created to enable professionals in international relations to perform at the highest level.

Navigating a turbulent world has never been easy.

Hyper-connected interdependence, climate change and migration crises have made it even more complex – not to mention the global pandemic.

Articulating your case, advocating your cause and effectively advancing your interests are increasingly challenging. These skills can’t all be learnt. Good judgment can’t be memorised, nor downloaded online. But experience can be shared, and wisdom passed on.

Discover Our History

CPDS was founded in 1993 by Dr John Hemery, a distinguished academic in international relations.

His ambition was to provide professionals in international relations with the best possible training for their multi-faceted tasks. Hear the message from him.

Based on its broad network of senior diplomats from a growing number of countries, CPDS provided in the period between 1993 and 2004 a range of skills training programmes to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, supporting and preparing hundreds of UK diplomats for their tasks in the ministry and in postings abroad. Prior to the enlargement of the EU in 2004, CPDS provided similar training to EU candidate countries in central and eastern Europe.

From 2004, the EU activities also entail training for officials of the EU institutions and comprehensive programmes preparing the administrations of EU member states for their tasks as Presidency of the Council of the EU starting with the UK presidency in 2005. In the same period, CPDS developed special training for negotiation and chairing in the UN, preparing newly-elected countries for their work in the UN Security Council.

Hear from our alumni

“The course was informative and was a great base for learning about negotiation. I feel I learned a lot and feel more confident in my knowledge and practice of negotiation now.”

Georgina, UK - Negotiation Skills, February 2021
Hear from our alumni

“Many thanks for these three days! The theory and especially the exercises were great. The experiences, anecdotes and wisdoms from the trainers made it easy to follow and very interesting.”

Sebastian, Switzerland - Political Reporting and Briefing, June 2020
Hear from our alumni

“A very comprehensive, well paced, well delivered and well structured course.”

Hadrian, UK - Negotiation Skills, March 2021
Hear from our alumni

“Thank you very much for this very interesting course and the written feedback you gave to my report. I find it very useful and constructive.”

Laura, European External Action Service, UK - Political Reporting, March 2021

We train diplomats, civil servants, corporate executives and politicians from organisations and companies around the world.