Why do some states dictate the terms of international agreements while others merely react to them? The answer lies largely in how power and vulnerability are understood, measured, and used in diplomacy. This training course from the Arab British Fellowship Training Academy gives professionals in politics, diplomacy, and international affairs the analytical tools to read these dynamics and connect them to real foreign-policy decisions.

Every state operates inside a system built on self-preservation, competing for standing and independence of decision-making while depending on shared interests with others. As the global order keeps shifting -- new alliances form, economic weight redistributes, and technology changes the rules of engagement -- understanding strength and weakness has become less theoretical and more of a practical skill for anyone working in diplomacy, international organizations, or economic policy.

After completing this course, participants will be able to:

• Trace how International Relations developed historically into an independent political science.
• Differentiate between the primary and subsidiary actors shaping International Relations.
• Analyze the branches of International Relations and their connection to International Law.
• Understand how foreign policy, international politics, and international relations interact and influence one another.

Target Audience

• Students and graduates of Political Science and International Relations colleges and institutes.
• New professionals entering the field of International Relations, including graduates of Economics departments.
• Diplomatic sector staff and officials handling international agreements.
• Directors of International Relations offices and staff of international organizations.
• Employees of government institutions connected to economic functions.

Module 1: Why Power and Weakness Matter in Global Politics

• The practical importance of understanding strength and weakness between states.
• The concept of International Relations and how it evolved into an independent political science.
• The International Politics landscape and its main actors.

Module 2: Foundations, Theories and Historical Development

• Definitions of International Relations through history.
• Theories and factors that have shaped International Relations over time.
• International systems across different historical eras.

Module 3: Globalization and the New World Order

• The concept of globalization and the emergence of the new world order.
• The balance of international power and its effect on global peace.
• International Organizations and their evolving role.

Module 4: Soft Power, Strategy and Diplomacy

• International law as a framework for relations between states.
• International strategies and game theory applications.
• The emergence of soft power policy and its sources.
• Diplomacy: definition, concept, and the importance of diplomatic science.