§1

TERMINOLOGY

1. Basic terminology and definitions:

1. EAD - European Academy of Diplomacy;
2. AYD - Academy of Young Diplomats Program;
3. Participant - a person who has undergone the admission process and has been accepted to the Program;
4. Coordinator of the AYD - a person who is responsible for the coordination of the Program. 

§2
Program 

1. The Academy of Young Diplomats is organized by the EAD, located in Warsaw, Poland.
   
2. The Academy of Young Diplomats is a yearlong Program, divided into three specializations: Foreign Service, International Organizations and International security.
   
3. It consists of 8 sessions, 4 of which are held online, and 4 in Warsaw. The sessions are held approximately once a month, from Friday to Sunday (if online - from Friday to Saturday).
   
4. In the event of the Covid-19 pandemic or any other force majeure and restrictions resulting from it, EAD reserves the right to modify the dates and format of the sessions to deliver the syllabus on time.
   
5. The session dates are announced for each AYD edition on the EAD website.
   
6. The announced dates are subject to change in circumstances that are not within the reasonable control of EAD (such as events of force majeure) or serve the safety and health of participants.
   
7. If there is no other possibility, the EAD reserves the right to organize all or selected sessions online.

§3

PARTICIPANT STATUS

1. The Academy of Young Diplomats Participant Status is given to candidates who have successfully completed the recruitment process and have been admitted to the Program.
   
2. The AYD Participant status is granted for one year, starting on the day of the Inauguration Ceremony and ending with the Graduation Ceremony.
   
3. During the duration of the Program each AYD Participant is entitled to:

1. Participation in all AYD Sessions;
2. An e-mail account in the „@post.diplomats.pl” domain;
3. Obtain an Executive Diploma in the Art of Diplomacy issued by the European Academy of Diplomacy, providing he/she has fulfilled all graduation requirements outlined in this document.
4. An invitation to the AYD Alumni community upon successful completion of the Program.

§4

Program COMPLETION REQUIREMENTS

1. Participants are required to abide by and submit to the Rules and Regulations for AYD Participants 2024/2025, the EAD regulations, the recommendations of the EAD representatives and to avoid any action that would bring the name of the EAD into disrepute.
   
2. Participants are required to regularly and actively participate in the AYD sessions. Participation in at least 6 out of 8 sessions AYD sessions is mandatory with camera on during all online elements of the Program.
   
3. Absence during a session may be excused and justified only on a case-to-case basis and on the grounds of a certificate, on a formal legally accepted form, signed by a medical practitioner or a formal excuse letter issued by the participant’s university/employer/legal representative.
   
4. All Participants are required to pass the final exam. The exam covers topics discussed during the mandatory elements of AYD sessions (Diplomatic Skills Workshops and Specialization classes), but also verifies the Participant’s general knowledge in the field of international relations.

1. The final exam is held after the last session of the AYD Program;
2. A Participant who is not able to attend the final exam on the original date may submit, within 7 days before the exam date, a written request for the absence to be excused. The Coordinator of the AYD may then assign an additional exam date;
3. A Participant who fails to show for an additional exam term assigned, based on paragraph 4, point 4 letter b, will not be granted any additional exam terms;
4. Participants who fail the final exam will be offered one make-up exam;
5. The date of the make-up exam will be communicated after the last session. In cases justifiable by the doctor, lawyer or employer, a request for a different date can be submitted. The Coordinator of the AYD may then assign an additional make-up exam date;
6. A Participant who has not taken the exam before and selects the make-up exam date for his/her first attempt, automatically forfeits his/her right to a retake if he/she fails this exam.
7. Coordinator of the AYD may request Participants to register for make-up exams. Registration closes 7 calendar days before the exam date. Once the registration closes, no changes are allowed without prior approval of the Coordinator of the AYD;
8. All Participants taking the final or retake exams are required to present a valid ID document if requested by an EAD representative.
   

5. All Participants are required to submit and pass the final Policy Paper.

1. Topics of the Policy Paper and submission dates will be communicated at least 10 weeks before the submission deadline;
2. Final Policy Papers are to be sent in an electronic form (docs.) to the email address indicated by the Coordinator of the AYD;
3. The Policy Paper is marked as passed by the Coordinator of AYD based on a review and grading delivered by external experts hired by the EAD to grade policy papers;
4. A Participant who fails to pass the Policy Paper assignment may re-submit the paper once. Second failure to pass the Policy Paper assignment equals to failing to complete the Program;
5. A Participant who is not able to submit Policy Paper in due time is required to notify the Coordinator of AYD no later than 7 calendar days before the due date and provide a reason for the delay. Only compelling and unexpected circumstances will be accepted;
6. Coordinator of AYD may extend the submission deadline. However, the deadline cannot be later than 31 August 2025;
7. Any cases of plagiarism result in participants' automatic expulsion from the Program. Plagiarism is defined as copying work or part of work of another Participant, copying texts or graphics without citing the sources and/or quotation marks or any other cases which are in breach of university standards and good practices.
   

6. Participants are required to notify the Coordinator of AYD about changes in their contact information.
   

7. All communication without exception is conducted via the email account at "@post.diplomats.pl". Emails from private accounts may not be taken into consideration. Participants are required to check their email account on a regular basis (at least 2-3 times per week is recommended), especially before and after every session.
   
8. Participants are expected to conform to a reasonable standard of behavior, and to act with consideration and respect towards the trainers, guests of the Program, EAD representatives and fellow Participants. The Academy of Young Diplomats does not tolerate any form of disrespect or insensitivity among participants. Such behavior is not aligned with the principles of mutual respect, open dialogue, and constructive engagement that we uphold. Any participant who does not adhere to these standards will be expelled from the AYD Program with immediate effect without any possibility of  refund of the Program fee.
   
9. Participants are obliged to observe the safety regulations that are valid for the event location.
   
10. Participants are obliged to meet all requirements necessary to complete the Program no later than September 2025.
    
11. Any Participant failing to oblige by the Rules and Regulations for AYD Participants 2024/2025 may be removed from the Participant list, with no refund of the admission fee.
    

§5

TUITION PAYMENT POLICY

1. The tuition payment for the Program must be registered on the EAD account within 10 days from the Participant’s acceptance to the Program. The tuition fee for the academic year 2024/2025 (Early Bird’s admission round) is 2271 Euro and 9810 PLN. 
   
2. A Participant should pay the tuition in installments, broken down depending on the date of the acceptance letter receipt.

Participants should pay in the following installments: 

● The third installment, of 300,00 EUR or 1400,00 PLN, is due on 15 August 2024.

● The fourth installment, of 300,00 EUR or 1400,00 PLN, is due on 15 September 2024.

● The fifth  installment, of 300,00 EUR or 1500,00 PLN, is due on 15 October 2024.

● The sixth  installment, of 300,00 EUR or 1600,00 PLN, is due on 15 November 2024.

● All the installments need to be in the same currency (paid only in EUR or only in PLN).

Any bank fees or other costs should be borne by the participant.

All installments have to be paid before the beginning of the Program. Participants who apply closer to the first session date are only eligible for as many installments as possible, with the payment due no later than the Inauguration Ceremony.

3. If payment is not registered on the EAD account within 10 days from the acceptance to the Program, the Participant will be removed from the AYD acceptance list.
   

If you already know that you will be unable to participate in this year’s edition, please send an email of resignation to the Program coordinator.

4. The tuition fee covers 140 hours of hands-on diplomatic experience divided into 8 sessions, all program materials, virtual and regular study visits in Warsaw, coffee breaks during all live sessions and issuing of the Executive Diploma in the Art of Diplomacy.
   
5. The tuition fee does not cover accommodation, visa, insurance, travel expenses, and meals.

§6

PAYMENT METHODS

1. EAD can only accept payments through bank transfer, from accounts using the IBAN format:
   (XX - two letters as country code and 26 digits as account number) and using BIC/SWIFT code (bank identifier code in capital letters), as in the European banking system.
   
2. If needed EAD also accepts PayPal transactions. Keep in mind that due to PayPal charging a transaction fee, the total amount paid will be increased. To avoid paying the PayPal fee we encourage you to use bank transfers.
   
3. EAD does not accept Western Union transfers or similar, neither credit card payments or cash.

§7

REIMBURSEMENT POLICY

1. The EAD reimburses tuition paid, without the participant providing any reason, only if the participant withdraws his/her participation from the Program, in writing via email, not later than 60 days before the Inauguration Ceremony. The EAD will deduct a 100 EUR processing fee.
   
2. Withdrawals of participation received between the 60th day and the 30th day before the Inauguration Ceremony in writing via email, are eligible for a 70 percent refund of the whole balance paid. Additionally, EAD will deduct a 100 EUR processing fee.
   
3. Withdrawals of participation received between the 29th day and the 7th day before the Inauguration Ceremony in writing via email are eligible for a 50 percent refund of the whole balance paid. Additionally, EAD will deduct a 100 EUR processing fee.
   
4. A participant will not have the right to be reimbursed with any amount after the 7th day before the inauguration ceremony of the Program.
   
5. The reimbursement will be made using the same means of payment as used for the initial transaction within 14 working days without any exceptions.
   
6. Participants who resign from the Program, fail to complete the Program, or are removed from the participant list following a breach of the Rules and Regulations for AYD Participants 2024/2025  will not be entitled to any refund and are still obliged to pay the full admission fee within 10 days from the notification from the Coordinator of AYD to the bank account indicated.
   

§8
VISA

1. The applicant is solely responsible for securing a visa, if such is necessary for him/her to enter Poland.

1. EAD does not cover any costs and does not provide any assistance in the process of obtaining a visa.
2. A participant who has been accepted to the AYD will, however, receive a Visa Support Letter that can be used in the visa application process if requested at least 2 weeks before the application. A Visa Support Letter can be issued only to those participants who paid at least the first installment of the Program fee.
3. Participants who need a visa are encouraged to apply early, and in the event of being accepted to the Program, start their visa applications as soon as possible, at least six months before the AYD Inauguration Ceremony (December 2025).
   
   

2. In the event of a visa application being rejected, the participant is requested to inform EAD immediately about their decision to be transferred to the next edition or be refunded the tuition fee. A participant must provide EAD with a written proof (a document) of the visa rejection and a statement asking to be refunded or transferred to the next edition. In the event that a participant wants the tuition fee to be refunded or to be transferred to the next edition, the participant must request this in writing via email. In the case of visa rejection, the reimbursement procedures are as follows:
   

1. In the case of visa application rejection, it is possible to transfer participation to the next AYD edition only if presented with a proof of rejection. The request to be transferred to the next AYD edition must be submitted no later than 7 days before the start of the Program. Once a request to transfer a participant has been accepted by the EAD team, a participant can no longer ask for reimbursement.
2. Unless being transferred, if the proof of visa rejection is provided to EAD and a refund request is sent in writing via email more than 30 days before the Inauguration Ceremony, EAD will reimburse the admission fee after deducting the 100 EUR processing fee.
3. Unless being transferred, if the proof of visa rejection is provided to EAD and a refund request is sent in writing via email within the 30 days before the Inauguration Ceremony, EAD will deduct 50 percent of the whole balance paid plus a 100 EUR processing fee.
4. Unless being transferred, if the proof of visa rejection is provided to EAD and a refund request is sent in writing via email later than 7 days before the inauguration ceremony, no refunds will be made by EAD.
5. No exceptions will be granted to the above rules.

§9

CHANGES

1. EAD reserves the right to introduce changes to the Program of Academy of Young Diplomats.
   
2. Detailed rules and conditions of participation in the Academy of Young Diplomats, not regulated by Rules and Regulations for AYD Participants 2024/2025, are set by the Coordinator of AYD in coordination with the EAD Management Board.

§10
SIGNATURE AND AGREEMENT

Rules and Regulations for AYD Participants 2024/2025 are binding from the day of the participant's application for the Program. The original of the Rules and Regulations has to be signed, scanned, and emailed to the email address indicated by the Coordinator of the AYD within 10 days of acceptance to the Program, along with the payment.

By signing the document, the participant consents for his personal data (including: image recorded in the photograph and video, name and surname, telephone number, e-mail address, date of birth, citizenship, education, professional experience, and language skills) to be processed by the European Academy of Diplomacy seated at Oleandrów 6, 00-629 Warsaw, for the purposes of recruitment and promotion of the Academy of Young Diplomats Program. The personal data consent is expressed voluntarily and can be withdrawn at any time (as defined in the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679).

I, undersigned (name & surname) ................................................................................................................., resident of (full address) ..........................................................................................................................................................., with personal identification document number (ID/stay permit/passport with photo) ..............................................................................................................................................................., I hereby certify that I have read and accepted the Rules and Regulations for AYD Participants 2024/2025.

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        Date and Address        Signature