Overview of all the episodes
Karel van Oosterom
Karel van Oosterom served as the Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United Nations from 2013 to 2020, during which he sat on the Security Council in 2018. Furthermore, he served as Ambassador to the United Kingdom from 2020 to 2024, the period during which the UK withdrew from the European Union. In addition, from 2006 to 2011, he served as Senior Foreign Affairs and Defense Advisor to Prime Ministers Jan Peter Balkenende and Mark Rutte. He is currently a member of the Review Committee on the Dutch Intelligence and Security Services.
This episode uses three seminal works in the field of diplomacy: Henry Kissinger’s “World Order”, Niccolò Machiavelli’s “Advice to Raffaello Girolami”, and William J. Burns’s “The Back Channel”. In this interview, we combine the lessons from these works with van Oosterom’s practical experience to see how applicable they are. By doing so, this interview provides a valuable and unique insight into the life of a top diplomat.
The themes which were discussed in this interview are:
- The Netherlands’ role and ideals in a changing world order
- Machiavelli’s lessons about diplomacy more than five centuries later
- How an ambassador broadens their network
- Why the United Nations remains irreplaceable
- Key characteristics of a diplomat during times of transition
If you wish to acquire any of van Oosterom’s books, you can utilize the following URLs to do so:
In Dutch:
- Met een oranje das: https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/f/met-een-oranje-das/9200000114278008/
- Leidinggevende bij de overheid: https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/leidinggeven-bij-de-overheid/9300000233529647/?cid=1789253712099-711786288320
In English:
- With an Orange Tie: https://www.amazon.nl/Orange-Tie-year-Security-Council/dp/B08LPQ3ND3
- Leadership in the public sector: https://www.amazon.nl/-/en/Leadership-Public-Sector-only-your/dp/B0GMTLJ472/ref=sr_1_1?crid=45FW0ADQQWP0&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.duDvaAePhEhgamfScY2i9R5-okNb0n3uE0n4T9VXm8swf0kKauSMpZZi_W_NkYvIcClzMubHCrQ24sHbK2assYRkOda9SJMzrXMGBEtRHEt9GglcbwTATd1d5QAklSXboGO3326RMP_t53Y5Ob5UM6V_Hq1mbzJLtsePE0CwSgcl45lBRI42XeA0qbPWiAny-BYUgDguKOLaRYym6KH4F_-gSzBJ5JtVLhRkqir7r3v8FekRePR7NQFPzdExvS5lEBPF6LUQYBW1zjOucKGFmr1IF-TF7WzXFom2nay8E0Q.n_QR3fchZbKfVf4yjZJ4aQ7eGBbSFAYIgzSxVZYnCS4&dib_tag=se&keywords=leadership+in+the+public+sector&qid=1789253838&sprefix=leadership+in+the+public+sector%2Caps%2C104&sr=8-1
Works cited:
van Oosterom, Karel. Met Een Oranje Das: Een Jaar in de Veiligheidsraad. 7 Apr. 2020. Atlas Contact, 2020.
Lafeber, Fred, and Karel van Oosterom. Leidinggeven Bij De Overheid. 22 Aug. 2025. Boom, 2025.
Kissinger, Henry. World Order. 3 Sept. 2015. Allen Lane, 2015.
Machiavelli, Niccolò. “Advice to Raffaello Girolami When He Went as Ambassador to the Emperor.” The Chief Works and Others, translated by Allan Gilbert, vol. 1, 1989, pp. 116–19, https://doi.org/10.1215/9780822381570-005.
Burns, William J. The Back Channel a Memoir of American Diplomacy and the Case for Its Renewal. 24 Mar. 2020. Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2020.
Renée Jones-Bos
Renée Jones-Bos served as the Ambassador of The Netherlands to the United States of America (2008-2012) and the Russian Federation (2016-2019). Besides being an Ambassador, she was also the Secretary-General at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2012-2016). She was the Netherlands’ first female ambassador to both the United States and Russia, and the first woman to serve as Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Rights Ambassador.
This episode uses Henry Kissinger's seminal work, Diplomacy, as a framework to bridge academic theory with Mrs. Jones-Bos's extensive practical experience. By examining Kissinger's concepts through the lens of a modern career, we explore how historical theories apply to contemporary international challenges. In addition to these frameworks, the conversation highlights the evolving role and unique perspective of women in the diplomatic arena.
The themes which were discussed are: The Clash of Realism vs. Idealism, Dealing with "Revolutionary Powers", The Individual vs. The System, Feminist Foreign Policy in a Realist World, The Glass Ceiling of the "Boy's Club" and Advice for Young Women wanting to work in Diplomacy.
Dániel Horogszegi Szilágyi-Landeck
Dániel Horogszegi Szilágyi-Landeck is the Ambassador of Hungary in The Netherlands. In this interview, we discussed a range of themes about an ambassadors work, such as: How an ambassador elaborates on the actions of the country which he or she is representing and an ambassador promotes it's country's rich culture in an other country.
Understanding Diplomacy
Connecting you with the world of diplomacy
I aim to bring transparency and knowledge about diplomacy through personal interviews with diplomats from around the world.