On the 2nd of April 2025, the E.M. Primakov Centre hosted the III Samara Interuniversity Olympiad on Diplomatic Protocol and Etiquette ‘SamDiP-2025’. The event was supported by the Representative Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia in Samara and gathered students from 4 universities of Samara region: Samara University, SGEU, Samara branch of Moscow State Pedagogical University, SamSTU.
Mikhail Mikhailovich Leonov, Vice-Rector for Educational Work and Youth Policy of Samara University, made a welcoming speech to the participants of the Olympiad and supported the students’ aspirations to study the intricacies of working with protocol. Christina Kurbet, Chief Counsellor of the Department of State Protocol of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, noted the importance of such events to raise the level of knowledge of students interested in the history and modern development of diplomacy.
The knowledge and skills of the participants to understand various cases dedicated to the organisation of diplomatic visits, as well as ordinary working meetings between representatives of different cultures were evaluated by a highly qualified jury headed by Alexey Valeryevich Chupakhin, Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia in Samara.
The Olympiad consisted of three stages, each of which required from the participants both theoretical knowledge and practical skills. During the first stage the participants demonstrated their knowledge of the history of diplomacy, the main figures and generally accepted norms of diplomatic practice. The teams also presented skits illustrating common mistakes in diplomatic protocol. The participants were also offered real cases requiring competent application of knowledge about diplomatic etiquette.
In order to prepare for the Olympiad there was a series of lectures on the history of diplomatic protocol and etiquette from our expert – Ekaterina Voinova, Second Secretary of the Representative Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia in Samara.
According to the results of the Olympiad:
- The winner was the team ‘Mega’ consisting of students of Samara University: Zhidkov Denis, Shakhazizyan Sarkis, Mikhailov Ermolay, Anisimova Alina;
- The winner in the nomination ‘The Most Active Participant’ was Alina Mironova, a student of Samara University;
The winners were awarded with letters of thanks from the Representative Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia in Samara, and also received memorable prizes.
An individual round was also held among the participants, according to the results of which a student of Samara University – Ergasheva Samira was rewarded for the high level of preparation!
The Olympiad ended with bright emotions, new knowledge and exciting meetings. The participants not only demonstrated their erudition, but also gained a unique experience of interaction within the framework of teamwork. We thank all participants, organisers and judges for their active participation and contribution to the development of knowledge about diplomatic protocol and etiquette.
We look forward to new meetings at the next events!
Photos: Alexander Zaitsev| The V.A. Kakovkin Illuminator Photography Club.
