Category: Faculty, Featured News, News

Title: Ask a Diplomat

Author: Kritika Sharma
Date Published: January 15, 2025
"Ask a Diplomat." Ambassador Barbara Bodine in a library. Screen grab of a scene from The Diplomat featuring Kerri Russell's character, Kate.

Ever wondered how Hollywood’s portrayal of diplomacy stacks up against the real deal? In Ask a Diplomat, Ambassador Barbara Bodine, director of the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy and a career foreign service officer with over 30 years of experience, dives into Netflix’s The Diplomat to separate fact from fiction.

From “pull asides” over coffee to debunking last-minute vice presidential visits, Ambassador Bodine breaks down the realities of life in the Foreign Service. Spoiler alert: It’s not all black-tie events and mahogany tables.

Diplomacy happens in hallways, over coffee, and on the margins. It’s about building relationships for challenges you can’t predict.

Ready for a reality check on Hollywood’s take? Watch now!