Diplomatic Academy of Vienna

Diplomatic Academy of Vienna
Type	Independent public postgraduate institution
Established	1754 (as the Oriental Academy) ; 1964 (as the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna) ; 1996 (granted independent public institution status)
Director	Ambassador Emil Brix
Academic staff	96
Location	Vienna, Austria
Campus	Urban
Affiliations	APSIA
Website	da-vienna.ac.at

Front side of the school

Main entrance of the Diplomatic Academy, adjacent to Theresianum

The Diplomatic Academy of Vienna (DA; German: Diplomatische Akademie Wien), also known as the Vienna School of International Studies, is a postgraduate professional school based in Vienna, Austria, with focused training for students and professionals in the areas of international affairs, political science, law, languages, history and economics.^[1]

The school confers Master's degrees and postgraduate diplomas upon its graduates. It is an affiliate member school of the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs in Austria.^[2] The Diplomatic Academy's director (since 2017) is Ambassador Emil Brix (b. 1956 in Vienna), an Austrian diplomat and historian.^[3]

History[]

The academy was originally established by Empress Maria Theresa in 1754 as the Oriental Academy, for the purpose of training young diplomats to represent the Habsburg Empire abroad.

The school was renamed multiple times and reorganized over the centuries, and it eventually gained independent public institution status in 1996.^[4] Given its roots, the Diplomatic Academy claims to be the oldest school of its kind, one that is dedicated to professional foreign affairs training.^[5]

Academics[]

The academy offers graduate degrees only. Students may choose to pursue a two-year program that leads towards either a Master of Advanced International Studies (MAIS) or a Master of Science in Environmental Technology and International Affairs (MSc ETIA) degree.

The MAIS program is run in conjunction with the University of Vienna, while the MSc ETIA courses are offered in partnership with the Technical University of Vienna. A one-year "Diploma Programme" is also available to postgraduates.^[2]

Directors of the academy[]

Heinrich Pfusterschmid-Hardtenstein, 1978–1986
Alfred Missong jun., 1986–1994
Paul Leifer, 1994–1999
Ernst Sucharipa, 1999–2003
Jiří Gruša, 2004–2008
Hans Winkler, 2008–2017
Emil Brix, 2017–present

Notable people[]

A number of prominent figures in politics, economics and law have associations with the Diplomatic Academy:

Celso Amorim – former Brazilian Minister of Defence and Foreign Minister and ambassador to the United Kingdom. Amorim graduated from the academy in 1967.
Jiří Gruša – Czech poet and former Czech ambassador to Austria. Served as the academy's director from 2005 to 2009.
Valentin Inzko – Austrian diplomat, currently serving as the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Graduated in 1974.
Jan Kickert (born 1964) – Austrian Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović – 4th President of the Republic of Croatia.
Heinz Schaden – Austrian Social Democratic Party politician and former mayor of Salzburg. Attended DA in the 1980s.
Kurt Waldheim – former President of Austria and Secretary-General of the United Nations. Graduated from the academy (then known as the Vienna Consular Academy) in 1939.
Igor Lukšić – Foreign Minister of Montenegro and former Prime Minister. Graduated in 1999.

References[]

^ "Diplomatic Academy of Vienna". www.da-vienna.ac.at. Diplomatic Academy. Archived from the original on 15 February 2012. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b "Diplomatic Academy of Vienna Profile". APSIA website. Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs. Archived from the original on 15 December 2011. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
^ "The DA welcomes its new director, Emil Brix". Diplomatic Academy of Vienna. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
^ Pfusterschmid-Hardtenstein, Heinrich (2008). A Short History of the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna (PDF). Vienna: Diplomatic Academy of Vienna. p. 58. ISBN 978-3-902021-57-1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-19. Retrieved 2012-02-15.
^ "The History of the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna". Diplomatic Academy of Vienna. Archived from the original on 28 December 2011. Retrieved 15 February 2012.