Training for Government Staff

Since 2013 the Institute has delivered educational courses to staff of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Ministry of Defence, and contributed to the European External Action Service to facilitate understanding of the interaction of religion, policy and diplomacy.

Former Ambassador to the Holy See Nigel Baker has commended the course at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for its engagement with the dynamics of religion and faith in global society, stating: "I am delighted that the Foreign Office has launched this initiative. Understanding religion, and religions, needs to be an integral part of our diplomatic armoury". 

Understanding religion, the role it plays and its impact on behaviour and decision-making is vital to a Foreign Service's ability to engage with the complexities of today's global society. Evaluation of the courses shows that FCO staff are better equipped to understand the tensions between and within religious communities and to negotiate the role of religion in everyday life in a variety of contexts, including the MENA region.

Feedback from workshops:

• "Excellent speakers, well presented and knowledgeable sessions"
• "This was a fascinating and excellent course. I wish it had been more than one day so we could have covered more topics"
• "Well-presented and useful"
• "The case studies were excellent"

Bespoke courses:

Our training is flexible and tailored to your needs. We can host courses at the Woolf Institute in central Cambridge, in your workplace, or online with content and timing that responds to your needs and context.

Get in touch to find out how we can work together: publicengagement@woolf.cam.ac.uk