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Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore

Cattolica International

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1st LEVEL | Global Issues and International Relations (15 ECTS)
  • Global issues in international relations
  • Democracy and the rule of law
  • Issues in International economics
  • The geopolitics of energy transition

2nd LEVEL - Public and Cultural Diplomacy (28 ECTS)
  • Public diplomacy and global engagement
  • Intercultural communication in public diplomacy
  • Cultural diplomacy: comparative approaches
  • Creating reputational value
  • Nation branding and strategic narratives
  • Cultural diplomacy for reconciliation

3rd LEVEL - Digital and Business Diplomacy (9 ECTS)
  • Digital diplomacy: new media in the new public diplomacy
  • Social media and global communication strategies
  • Business and corporate diplomacy in the global environment

4th LEVEL - Soft Skills Workshops and Final Project Work (5 ECTS)

5th LEVEL - Internship (5 ECTS)



 

 

The 1-year Specialising Master in Advanced Public and Cultural Diplomacy for International Relations (MAPCD) is directed by:
  • Professor Damiano Palano, full Professor of Political Philosophy and Director of the Department of Political Science at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
  • Professor Federica Olivares, Founder and Director of the Specialising Master, Cultural Diplomacy advisor, former Counsellor for international Cultural Affairs to the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs.

 

Learn from scholars and professionals 

The faculty is composed of Italian and international scholars and professionals from global institutions and non-governmental organisations, sharing their experience with the class.
Amongst them:

  • Anaïs Aguerre - Founder and Managing Director of Culture Connect; former Head of International Initiatives at the Victoria and Albert Museum
  • Anton Anca - Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Journalism and Communication Sciences, University of Bucharest
  • Roberta Bartoli - Associate Scholar, Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz - Max Planck Institut
  • Rosanna Binacchi – Former Head of Unit for the International Relations, Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage
  • Corneliu Bjola – Director, Oxford Digital Diplomacy Research Group, University of Oxford
  • Nicholas J. Cull – Professor of Public Diplomacy, University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.
  • Gerald Giaquinta - Professor and Academic Director, World Bachelor in Business Program, University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business
  • Javier Jimenez – Director, Lord Cultural Resources, Madrid
  • Kiril P. Kartaloff - Associate Professor of Diplomatic History, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
  • Melissa Nisbett - Reader in Cultural Politics, Department of Culture, Media & Creative Industries, King’s College London
     
Internship: the first career step
Thanks to an extensive network and numerous opportunities to meet face-to-face with key players in cultural diplomacy during field visits, MAPCD students have access to internship opportunities that are the first step in building their professional careers. 


Below are some of the companies and organisations that have hosted our students on internships:

Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Italy; Ministry of Cultural Heritage – Italy; ENI; ENEL; Intesa Sanpaolo; Cassa Depositi e Prestiti; Gallerie degli Uffizi, Florence; Museo Nazionale Romano, Palazzo AltempsL; RAI; IAI - International Affairs Institute; ECFR – European Council on Foreign Relations; FAO – Food and Agricultural Organization, United Nations; Unesco; British Council; UNIDO - United Nations Industrial Development Organization; ENEL – Res4Africa Foundation; Edelman; FutureBrand; The Branding Letters; Lord Cultural Resources; Musement; TAG - Talent Garden; UNIDROIT; Festival della Diplomazia; Fondazione Santagata; Venice Sustainability World Capital Foundation; International Private Committees for the Safeguard of Venice; Stauffer Foundation; EMMA4Peace, ASEAN Italy.


Network
An extensive network of national and international companies, institutions and organisations offers MAPCD students direct exposure to the future job market. Some of the players that have collaborated in various ways with the Specialising Master are:

 

Multifold employability
Students who have completed the Specialising Master in Advanced Public and Cultural Diplomacy for International Relations are now working in different Countries within various institutions and organizations:

  • Ministries of Foreign Affairs
  • Ministries of Cultural Heritage
  • International Institutions and Organiszations
  • Global Companies
  • Think Tanks and research Institutes
  • Global Consultancy Firms
  • NGOs
Classes will begin on October 23, 2025 and will end by April 2026.


Attendance is mandatory.

To obtain the degree you must attend at least 75% of classes, workshops and visits.

October 2025 - April 2026 Classes and exams
May - July 2026 Internship
September 202 Project Work submission
October 2026 Graduation

 

International students can join Italian language courses offered by SeLdA (Servizio Linguistico d’Ateneo). These courses require a fee.