Executive Programmes

ESD’s Executive Programmes are tailor-made training courses that provide focused, practical training to diplomats and representatives of other government bodies both in Estonia and abroad. These courses are designed to improve participants’ skills in administration, diplomacy, e-governance, reform implementation, other concrete areas in a short period of time.

The courses are developed and implemented by ESD, in cooperation with its extensive network of local and international experts and institutional partners. Participants are able to refresh existing skills while acquiring new ones in a collaborative environment that promotes innovation, fosters intellectual curiosity, and facilitates networking among peers.

Upcoming & Past Projects

In addition to its 8-month post-graduate certificate programme, ESD is actively involved throughout the year in delivering custom-designed executive programmes and in implementing international cooperation projects. Some highlights of our current and recently-completed such projects are below.

Current and recently completed projects:

Trilateral Professional Capacity Building Project of the Under-Reform Hennadii Udovenko Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine. Financers: Swedish Institute, Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ESTDEV. Period: 2023-2025
Trilateral Professional Capacity Building Project of the Under-Reform Hennadii Udovenko Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine. Financers: Swedish Institute, Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Period: 2021-2023
Development cooperation project for training of future Georgian public service leadership in cooperation with Rondeli Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies. Financer: Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Period: 2021-2023
Cooperation with the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Period: 2021-2022 and supported by the Estonian Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid.
Development cooperation project for capacity development of the diplomatic academy that is being established at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Rwanda. Financer: Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Period: 2021-2022
Development cooperation project for capacity building of the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan. Financer: Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Period: 2020-2022
Scholarships for young diplomats and civil servants to participate at the ESD program “European Integration and International Relations”. Financer: Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Period: 2020-2022
Cooperation project “Estonian-Icelandic Cooperation Towards a Sustainable Arctic”. Financer: National Bilateral Fund of EEA Grants in Estonia. Period: 2020-2021
Development cooperation to support the development of Georgian Diplomatic Training and Research Centre. Financer: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia. Period: 2018-2021
Development cooperation project to support the development of Ukrainian Diplomatic Academy. Financer: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia. Period: 2018-2021
Scholarships for young diplomats and civil servants to participate at the ESD program “European Integration and International Relations”. Financer: Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Period: 2018-2020
Negotiation training for forthcoming working party chairs in Finland`s Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2019. Period 2019
Scholarships for diplomats from Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, Tunisia, Palestine, Algeria, Mauritius and diplomats from countries of Indian Ocean Commission for the participation at the short-term trainings at ESD. Financer: Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Period: 2018-2019
Scholarships for diplomats from Armenian, Belarusian, and Palestinian diplomats and students from diplomatic training institutions for participation in capacity-building training at ESD. Financer: Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Period: 2017-2018
Needs-based capacity building training in the field of International Relations for Diplomats of the Ukrainian MFA. Financer: Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Period: 2016-2018
Scholarships for young diplomats and civil servants to participate in the ESD International Relations and European Integration programme. Financer: Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Period: 2016-2018
Individual Training in International and EU-Specific Negotiations to the Staff of the Estonian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Financer: Ministry of Finance and State Chancellery of Estonia. Period: 2017
Intensive English Training to the Staff of the Estonian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Financer: Ministry of Finance and State Chancellery of Estonia. Period: 2017
Horizontal Training for the Estonian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Financer: Ministry of Finance and State Chancellery of Estonia. Period: 2016-2017
Grant for Supporting the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies. Financer: Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). Period: 2016-2017
Support to the Diplomatic Training Center of the MFA of Georgia. Financer: Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Period: 2016-2017
Scholarships for diplomats from Afghanistan, Egypt, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Morocco, Tajikistan, and Tunisia to participate in the ESD programme on Diplomacy, International Relations and Cooperation Training. Financer: Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Period: 2016-2017
Grant for Supporting the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies. Financer: Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). Period: 2015-2017
Curriculum development assistance for the Ukrainian Diplomatic Academy. Financer: Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Period: 2015-2017
Diplomacy, International Relations and Cooperation Training for diplomats of the Palestinian Authority and the Kazakh Public Administration Academy. Financer: Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Period: 2015
Scholarships for young diplomats and civil servants to participate in the ESD program on European Integration and International Relations. Financer: Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Period: 2015
Capacity Building in International Relations, EuropeAid/134063/C/SER/GE. (Implemented as part of a consortium with the College of Europe [CofE] and the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies (GFSIS). Financer: European Commission. Period: 2014-2016
Diplomacy, International Relations, and Cooperation Training for diplomats from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Financer: Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Period: 2014-2015.
Participatory Democracy, Open Governance, & Efficient e-Government Services (PADOS) – Capacity Building Support to Eastern Partnership Countries by Finland & Estonia. Project implemented in cooperation with the Finnish Institute of Public Management (HAUS), e-Governance Academy, and the Center for Development and Training of Public Service (ATAK) of the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences. Financer: Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Period: 2014-2015
International Relations and Cooperation Training for Diplomats from Afghanistan. Financer: Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Period: 2014
Training course on International Cooperation for Afghan Diplomats. Financer: Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Period: 2013
Information and Training Seminars for Euromed Diplomats in 2012-2014. EuropeAid/132176/C/SER/Multi. (Implemented in cooperation with the French National School of Administration [ENA] and the European Institute of Public Administration [EIPA]. Financer: European Commission. Period: 2012-2014
Capacity Building of the Georgian Leadership: Training in Policy Development and Negotiation Techniques. (Incooperation with Swedish Institute of Public Administration [SIPU International] and GFSIS, focused on training activities of Georgian civil service in 2009-2014). Financer: SIDA. Period 2009-2014