Get to know Danish Diplomacy: Meet 42 Danish Ambassadors at SDU on August 23

Normally, they are based on embassies all around the world but Tuesday 23 August the 42 Danish ambassadors visit SDU in Odense. They are here in order to discuss foreign policy with some of the university's researchers, and others with an interest in the topic.

"The Danish embassies work for all of Denmark and for all Danes. This is why we have extended the annual Ambassador Meeting in Copenhagen to cover the rest of the country this year. We must contribute to the strong and vibrant dialogue and debate about foreign policy that bridges the gap between Danes and diplomacy. I am convinced that this diplomatic roadshow will contribute to that," says foreign secretary Kristian Jensen.

On the day, the audience can choose to participate in one of four dialogue meetings.  The parent topics of the meetings are Europe of the future, counter-terrorism, migration, and technological development.

Brexit is a thump in the stomach

Associate professor Morten Kallestrup from the Department of Political Science and Public Management participates in the meeting on “Europe of the future". He says that one of the topics will be the challenge of Brexit.

"Crises are not a new phenomenon in the EU, in fact, they are more the rule than the exception. The history of the EU is characterised by crises and crisis situations that the member states and the EU institutions have had to solve, "says Morten Kallestrup.

"We have seen several referendums where the populations in the member states rejected parts of the EU collaboration, e.g. the Danish 'no' to the Maastricht Treaty and the two subsequent referendums on Danish EU opt-outs. So even though the situation with Brexit is a really hard blow to the EU, the EU is accustomed to dealing with crises. Also this crisis will be dealt with."

The ambassadors' challenges

The meetings will begin with a short presentation, and then there will be time for questions and comments from the audience. Each session will have a panel consisting of three ambassadors and two researchers from SDU.

The four topics were selected by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and are of immediate interest to the ambassadors in the world's hot spots.

The event takes place in English. Please find the agenda, information about the four dialogue meetings as well as parking information in the attachment.

Registration is necessary. You can register at www.sdu.dk/ambassadors

The debate meeting takes place on August 23 from 9:30 to 11:00 AM.

Select debate event  

At the meeting you can attend one of these four tracks:

1. The fight against terrorism,
2. Migration and Development,
3. Future Europe and
4. Technological disruption and Danish Foreign Policy.

The meeting takes place at the Faculty of Social Sciences at the Odense campus. Morning coffee is served  at 9 AM.