The Academy for International Relations helps central government staff with an international role, both in The Hague and at the missions, to learn and develop. We provide learning activities in both Dutch and English, geared to staff with an international role at every stage in their career.
Learning activities and lectures
From the basic training programme for new policy officers at BZ (IBBZ) to leadership programmes and from communications and language skills to diversity & inclusion (D&I) – you’ll find all this and more among our learning activities.
In addition to these learning activities, the academy also collaborates with internal and external experts to organise lectures and network meetings, on topics of current interest like online diplomacy, a safe and supportive working environment and the rising tensions in relations between countries.
Do you need help in choosing a learning activity?
To make it easier for you to find what you want, we have categorised our learning activities by theme in our online study guide. This gives you a good idea of the range of learning activities we provide.
Before choosing a learning activity, ask yourself the following questions:
- Did I agree on learning goals during my last staff interview? If so, choose a learning activity that will contribute to them.
- What’s the best way for me to develop in my job? Check whether there’s a learning pathway for your job group listing all relevant learning activities.
- Do I have learning goals for job-related expertise or for my personal development and diplomatic skills? Check out the relevant category in the study guide.
- How much time can or may I spend on a learning activity – an hour, a morning or afternoon or several days? Discuss this with your manager.
- What is my preferred learning method? Online or class-based instruction, for example, or an individual or group learning activity? Filter the learning activities to match your preferences.
- Do I have a preference for the month or quarter in which a learning activity starts? Tick those months in the search tool.
- Can I follow a learning activity in English? Look on the Dutch website for activities that are also offered in English. Or go to the English website for the complete list of activities offered in English.
- How much can I spend on my training? Discuss this with your manager.
If you need more help in choosing a learning activity, make an appointment to speak to one of our learning advisers. They know all about our learning activities and are happy to help. They can also advise managers who want to discuss learning opportunities for their team or individual employees.