The Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations organised the Public Diplomacy Course for Junior-Level Officers from 28 to 30 July 2025. The course was attended by thirty (30) officers from various ministries and government agencies.
The course was specially curated for junior officers. It aimed to create awareness of the importance of public diplomacy in promoting Malaysia’s interests, to impart knowledge on Malaysia’s public diplomacy efforts, and to learn from the successes of other countries’ public diplomacy initiatives.
The course comprised a series of lectures, a mini forum, and interactive discussions delivered by seasoned diplomats, government officials, experienced practitioners, and academics. Some interesting sessions included experience sharing on the implementation, successes, and challenges of public diplomacy tools from bilateral and multilateral perspectives, case studies on the success of cultural diplomacy, and discussions on current issues in public diplomacy. Topics covered included strategic communication, building and sustaining public trust, and utilising soft power namely cultural values and national branding as effective tools in public diplomacy.
Participants actively engaged in class discussions, eager to exchange ideas, share experiences, and reflect on the applicability of various strategies. Case studies and comparative examples further enriched the discussions and enabled participants to contextualise Malaysia’s public diplomacy efforts.
A recurring theme throughout the course was the importance of winning hearts and minds through positive narratives and people-to-people engagement. The course highlighted Malaysia’s potential and the untapped opportunities in utilising public diplomacy tools.
Overall, the course received positive feedback and provided an insightful and practical platform for participants to strengthen their knowledge and skills in public diplomacy.
