Diplomats in Dialogue 2026: Academic Diplomacy at Parul University
- • A three-day academic-diplomacy forum at Parul University, 16 to 18 October 2026.
- • Three round tables on education, research and institutional partnership.
- • The 18 ambassadors, high commissioners and diplomats who sat on them, from 18 countries.
- • How the programme paired dialogue with cultural exchange at the Statue of Unity and on campus.
16 to 18 Oct 2026
Three-day forum at Parul University
18 diplomats
Across three round tables, from a 70-delegate list
3 round tables
Education, research, and partnership
Parul University organised an esteemed event in October 2026 called Diplomats in Dialogue 2026. The event was a round table conference which brought together Ambassadors, High Commissioners and Diplomatic Delegates from several countries to Vadodara for a round table discussion on Education, Research and Partnership. Held on the 16th, 17th and 18th October, the event involved exclusive discussions alongside cultural activities around the Statue of Unity and on campus.
What the event was
Parul University organised an esteemed event in October 2026 called Diplomats in Dialogue 2026. The event was a round table conference which brought together Ambassadors, High Commissioners and Diplomatic Delegates from several countries to Vadodara for a round table discussion on Education, Research and Partnership. Held on the 16th, 17th and 18th October, the event involved exclusive discussions alongside cultural activities around the Statue of Unity and on campus.
The three round tables
The dialogue was built around three round tables, each with six diplomats and a defined theme:
| Round table | Theme |
|---|---|
| Education as a Bridge Between Nations | Student mobility, cultural exchange and people-to-people diplomacy |
| Knowledge Without Borders | Research, innovation and capacity building for global development |
| From Dialogue to Partnership | Building sustainable institutional and diplomatic collaborations |
The discussions focused on building global partnerships that would help create quality education, research, innovation, knowledge sharing and student exchange opportunities. A focus was placed on building sustainable relationships between institutions.
Who sat at the tables
The eighteen round-table participants, with the designations recorded in the official delegate list:
| Round table | Country | Representative | Designation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education as a Bridge | Somalia | Mr. Abdullahi Mohammed Odowa | Ambassador |
| Education as a Bridge | Eritrea | H.E. Mr. Alem Tsehaye Woldemariam | Ambassador, Dean of the Diplomatic Corps |
| Education as a Bridge | Yemen | H.E. Mr. Abdulmalik Abdullah Mohammed Al-Ervani | Ambassador |
| Education as a Bridge | Tanzania | H.E. Ms. Anisa Kapufi Mbega | High Commissioner |
| Education as a Bridge | Lesotho | Mr. Metsing Ediel Lemphane | Counsellor |
| Education as a Bridge | Palestine | H.E. Mr. Abdullah Mohammed Abdul Abushawesh | Ambassador |
| Knowledge Without Borders | Ecuador | H.E. Mr. Fernando Xavier Bucheli Vargas | Ambassador |
| Knowledge Without Borders | Nicaragua | H.E. Ms. Nadeska Imara Cuthbert Karlson | Ambassador |
| Knowledge Without Borders | Mongolia | H.E. Mr. Urijit Luvsanjav | Ambassador |
| Knowledge Without Borders | Timor-Leste | H.E. Mr. Kafilto Nunes | Ambassador |
| Knowledge Without Borders | Nauru | H.E. Mr. Kane Amandus | High Commissioner |
| Knowledge Without Borders | Benin | H.E. Mr. Erick Jean-Marie Zinsou | Ambassador |
| From Dialogue to Partnership | South Sudan | H.E. Ms. Sitona Abdalla Osman | Ambassador |
| From Dialogue to Partnership | Zimbabwe | Mr. Peter Hobwani | Charge d’Affaires |
| From Dialogue to Partnership | Mozambique | H.E. Mr. Armando Pedro Muiyane Junior | High Commissioner |
| From Dialogue to Partnership | Burundi | H.E. Mr. Aloys Bizindavyi | Ambassador |
| From Dialogue to Partnership | Venezuela | Ms. Maria Jose Gomez Arrieta | Counsellor |
| From Dialogue to Partnership | Ethiopia | Mr. Atiklit Atinafu Naroma | Second Secretary |
The three-day programme
The format mixed diplomacy with a view of India. Delegates arrived in Vadodara on 16 October. On Day 2, participants were taken to the Statue of Unity for a cultural visit as well as participating in round table discussions. They ended their day with some Gujarati folk dancing, called by the organizers as Dandiya Diplomacy. On Day 3, participants experienced the orientation for international students and visited parts of the campus.
Combining formal discussions with cultural activities was the main purpose of how the three-day programme was designed. The programme included both official talks between countries and cultural activities. The university believes that cultural exchange helps build understanding and stronger international relationships, so it is an important part of diplomacy, not just a break from it.
Why it matters for students
For a campus that already hosts students from more than 75 countries, a gathering of ambassadors represents far more than a ceremonial occasion; it serves as a meaningful platform for international engagement. Such interactions help establish student-mobility programmes, strengthen research collaborations, and develop long-term institutional partnerships. While the three-day forum provided an important starting point, its true success lies in the enduring relationships, agreements, and opportunities that emerge in the period following the event.
SOURCE AND CONTEXT. Based on the Diplomats in Dialogue 2026 booklet and the official delegate list. The delegates have been named according to the list. Where there was discrepancy between the round table sheet and delegate names they have been corrected. The university states what the focus of the event was. None of the delegates made any individual comments.
Explore the university's global engagement
Parul University’s global engagement and partnerships: read the companion article
Programmes at Parul University: paruluniversity.ac.in/all-programs
People and organisations
- Parul University Host; Vadodara, Gujarat
- Office of International Affairs, Parul University Organiser of Diplomats in Dialogue
- H.E. Mr. Alem Tsehaye Woldemariam Ambassador of Eritrea, Dean of the Diplomatic Corps
- H.E. Ms. Anisa Kapufi Mbega High Commissioner of Tanzania
- 18 round-table diplomats From 18 countries (see roster table)
