Danish Ambassador Søren Kelstrup acknowledged both the difficulties and privileges of being a diplomat during a visit to AAU, advising students on what to expect when entering the diplomatic field.
Kelstrup shared insights about Denmark’s approach to international relations, emphasizing lessons learned from history, focusing on commonalities between nations and building mutual respect to achieve “multilateral cooperation”.
“Diplomacy is a little bit like sitting on a tiger. Once you’re up there, you can only hang on. It’s so interesting and so privileged to do what we want to do as diplomats, but it comes at a cost for the family,” said Kelstrup, advising those new to the field to be prepared for disappointments.
The ambassador also called the EU the best peace project in history. However, he warned that without caution, history could and would repeat itself, citing Russia’s aggression in Ukraine as an example. Kelstrup emphasized that the way to “greatness” was peace, stability, and cooperation.
IR student Aknur Karim appreciated the ambassador’s candid discussion of the difficulties of balancing work and family life, as she hopes to pursue a career in foreign affairs. Karim, who also attended the Canadian ambassador’s open lecture, expressed hopes that more women in the field would visit AAU.
“Being a diplomat is a difficult decision because it requires a strong personality,” Karim said. “You have to move every three or four years and the countries can be very different from your own, but it is also interesting to explore the world, new people, and new cultures.”
Kelstrup’s visit was part of the “Meet the Ambassador” series, organized by Professor Gerald Powers and IR student Giacomo Piffanelli. The team is working to spread awareness of the series on the AAU website to increase attendance, particularly among prospective IRD students.
“The event is not just for students but for the school to show that the IRD program prepares students for careers in diplomacy,” said Piffanelli.
According to Piffanelli and Powers, future events are expected to feature more publicity, focused topics, and ambassadors from outside of Europe..
