Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations (IDFR)

The Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations, also known as IDFR, was established on 1 July 1991 under the Prime Minister’s Department following a Cabinet decision dated 6 March 1991. It was officially launched that same year on 12 August by the then Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. In March 2004, IDFR officially became part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia. Located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, IDFR is housed in the former building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

As the Ministry’s training arm, IDFR conducts training programmes for Malaysian diplomatic officers as well as officers from other government ministries and agencies. Apart from the main diplomatic training courses, IDFR provides mid-career and follow up professional skills training to help enhance the professionalism of serving officers.

The training programmes are practitioner-oriented and are aimed at equipping officers with the skills and knowledge to meet the challenges they face in the conduct of their professional duties. The Institute provides training in two broad areas-diplomacy and foreign relations, as well as foreign languages.

In collaboration with the National University of Malaysia (UKM), IDFR offers a thirteen-month postgraduate programme for a Master of Social Science in Strategy and Diplomacy.

IDFR's courses are also offered to more than 142 countries worldwide, in particular to participants from the developing countries under the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme (MTCP) as well as from ASEAN countries.

IDFR's course participants and interns have numerous opportunities to participate in seminars, workshops and round table discussions as well as to benefit from keynote addresses and lectures by distinguished scholars and international leaders. Prominent speakers who have graced IDFR's stage include HRH Sultan Nazrin Shah, IDFR's Royal Patron, Ban Ki-moon, Kofi Annan, Haris Siladzic, HRH Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Lee Hsien Loong, the late Nelson Mandela, the late Benazir Bhutto and the late Yasser Arafat.