Excited to share a video I created highlighting the School of Diplomacy and International Relations at Seton Hall University during my Spring 2025 semester there as the Tom and Ruth Distinguished Visiting Scholar.
The video captures the vibrant academic environment, distinguished faculty, and diverse student community that make this School stand out in international affairs education. I hope it provides insight into the exceptional work being done at Seton Hall in preparing the next generation of diplomatic leaders.
Author: AlisherFaizullaev
Scholar, writer, educator, Ambassador (ret.)
Wrapping up my time at Seton Hall’s School of Diplomacy
As my tenure as the Tom and Ruth Sharkey Distinguished Visiting Scholar at Seton Hall University’s School of Diplomacy and International Relations in New Jersey draws to a close, I reflect on this enriching experience. This photo was taken during the graduation ceremony.
Truth
Truth is never alone, but it is always lonely.
The Skill-Interest Relationship: Mastery Drives Passion
We often excel at what we like, but even more frequently, we grow fond of what we excel at. In essence, our skills shape our interests to a greater extent than our interests determine the development of our skills.
Musings on Bliss and Daily Life
Sometimes you experience pleasure from not writing. At times, you enjoy not talking. Occasionally, you feel delight in not eating, or not drinking, or not breathing. Sometimes, there even flashes a thought about the bliss of complete, final, and irreversible inaction.
But then everything returns to its usual course: you write in haste, talk incoherently, eat indiscriminately, drink hurriedly, breathe mindlessly, and chaotically try not to think about the impending absolutely complete, utterly final, and entirely irreversible inaction.
Prof. Dani Belo on U.S.-Canada Relations
Professor Dani Belo of Webster University (U.S.) has deep ties to the United States and Canada. In our YouTube conversation, he shares his thoughts on the current state of relations between these neighboring countries.
Paul Sharp: The Human Side of Diplomacy
I recently had the privilege of hosting Dr. Paul Sharp on my YouTube channel, Diplomatic Nexus. Dr. Sharp is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Minnesota in Duluth and an Honorary Editor of the Hague Journal of Diplomacy, and is widely recognized as one of the most prominent contemporary scholars in diplomatic studies.
In our wide-ranging discussion, we explored numerous aspects of modern diplomacy, including its human dimensions and understanding diplomacy as a social practice. Dr. Sharp shared insights from his extensive research, including his influential book “Diplomatic Theory of International Relations” (Cambridge University Press, 2009).
Our conversation highlighted how diplomatic interactions extend beyond formal state relationships to encompass complex social and personal dynamics that shape international relations.
For those interested in diplomatic theory and practice, I encourage you to watch our full discussion on my Diplomatic Nexus channel.
Vincent Pouliot: Diplomacy Unveiled: Global Challenges, Governance, and Practice
The Art of Communication
The art of #communication is important. Especially if a person has something to say, or has nothing to say
The Myth of Talent
Throughout my fairly long life, I may have met one or two truly talented people (and even then, I’m not entirely sure). There are, of course, more capable individuals. But ability, unlike talent, is not necessarily an inborn trait—it can also be the result of effort, experience, and discipline. Talent, on the other hand, is something natural, innate, independent of effort. You either have it, or you don’t.
I believe that much of the talk about talent is heavily mythologized. Truly talented people are extremely rare (and geniuses are even rarer). The vast majority of successful individuals achieve their status not due to some inherent gift but primarily through hard work, perseverance, and, to some extent, luck.
So, talent may not be entirely a bad thing, but you’ll still have to work. And work damn hard if you want to achieve anything on this planet (ah, motivation, motivation!). A bit less if you have abilities, but even they don’t mean much on their own—you need to know how to apply, develop, and even retain them; otherwise, they quickly fade away. In short, if there’s no talent, there’s always hard work and sweat.
By the way, this is something to be glad about: if your success is based entirely—or even mostly—on talent, then there’s little personal merit in it. After all, talent is given to you from the outside, and you possess it not because of your own efforts or achievements. There’s little sense in relying on a gift that was handed to you by chance.
Alisher Faizullaev 