Just ask

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GENEVA, SWITZERLAND — After going through a lengthy and rigid process of applying for a scholarship, I’ve finally made it here where I will be pursuing my short-term course on Multilateral Diplomacy.

This is the first time I’m enjoying a full scholarship and the beauty about it is that this particular scholarship was given purely on the basis of merit, with no consideration whatsoever on the status of one’s finances.

Beginning Monday, Sept. 4, my classes at the Geneva School of Diplomacy will begin. I am the only Filipino in class, and the first Filipino to study in one of the most highly-respected schools on International Relations.

What makes this school unique and ideal for those who are building on a career in international relations and diplomacy is that it is located in Geneva, which is basically the world’s capital of diplomacy.

Geneva is home to more than 200 international organizations including the United Nations. It is also home to roughly the same number of missions representing the UN’s member states, including the Philippines. This means that the world’s movers and shakers in international relations and diplomacy are all within a stone’s throw away from our school. In fact, many of them are part of our school’s faculty and staff. There are even times when the UN Secretary General himself, delivers lectures in this school.

We were asked to choose three out of four majors to focus on in our studies so I chose the ones that are the closest to my heart: Diplomatic Negotiations: Policy, Practice & Procedure; World Politics: Trends and Transformations; and Emerging Trends in International Trade.

Although my current focus at work is on public diplomacy, I consider it important to have a solid background in core international relations fields simply because you cannot keep building up and innovating on top of something that has a very weak foundation.

Before my stint in the Department of Foreign Affairs, I’ve had zero background in International Relations and Diplomacy. When I found out about this course, I figured that this would be the perfect opportunity to strengthen my base on the career I am currently pursuing.

I’d like to tip you in on a little secret. A scholarship to this school did not exist before. However, when I found out about the course, I decided that I might as well give it a shot, and ask the DFA Scholarship Committee if money can be set aside to send me to this prestigious university in Europe’s most expensive city.

After months of deliberation, they finally agreed to awarding me a full scholarship, complete with board and lodging.

One thing I learned from all this is that if you want something, you really just have to ask. But before asking, make sure you’ve done your part in working for it so you can show why you are worth taking a chance on.

I thank DFA and the Filipino people for taking a chance on me. I’m excited to bring home everything that I will learn from this once in a lifetime opportunity.

_______________________________

Author’s email: [email protected]

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