September 2026 Intake — Only 40 Seats
(MIAED)
A two-year, 4 semesters, 60 credit graduate degree offered by Asian Institute of Diplomacy and International Affairs (AIDIA), the first Think Tank & Graduate School in South Asia, in academic partnership with Kathmandu University.
Designed for the next generation of diplomats, policymakers, thinkers, strategists, and architects who will shape the Asian Century.
About AIDIA
The Asian Institute of Diplomacy and International Affairs (AIDIA) is Nepal's leading think tank and graduate school focused on international affairs, policy research, and leadership development. Established in 2014, AIDIA promotes informed policymaking through research, dialogue, and global engagement.
It serves as an independent platform for scholars, diplomats, policymakers, and young professionals to address key national, regional, and global issues, with a focus on foreign policy, geopolitics, trade, security, and regional cooperation.
As a Graduate School, AIDIA combines academic learning with practical experience in diplomacy and statecraft. Its faculty includes former diplomats, policy experts, economists, and security specialists, ensuring strong links between theory and practice.
Based in Kathmandu, Nepal, AIDIA benefits from its strategic location between India and China, offering a unique setting for studying international relations and regional dynamics.
Through research, dialogue, and partnerships, AIDIA works to develop ideas, shape policy, and prepare future leaders for global challenges.
Vision
To be Asia's leading Think Tank and Graduate School for international affairs, economy and diplomacy education and research.
Mission
To promote research, dialogue, and collaboration while educating future leaders in international affairs, economy and diplomacy.
Member of
Accredited bySunil K.C.
Founder & Executive Chairman, AIDIA
AIDIA Campus
Kathmandu, Nepal
Sunil K.C.
Founder & Executive Chairman
The world needs leaders with the courage to question assumptions, the wisdom to connect ideas across disciplines, and the conviction to shape a better future. At Asian Institute of Diplomacy and International Affairs (AIDIA) from our graduate program Master in International Affairs, Economy and Diplomacy (MIAED) in academic partnership with Kathmandu University (KU), we are nurturing the future generation which will lead the Asian Futures to the region and beyond, emerging from curiosity, discipline, and the courage to think beyond established boundaries.
Sunil K.C.
Founder & Executive Chairman, AIDIA
Key information
Made for
Emerging leaders & ambitious recent graduates
Study in
Kathmandu, Nepal — AIDIA Campus
Starts
September 2026
Duration
Two years (4 Semesters) — Full Time
Degree
60 Credits — Kathmandu University
Cohort
40 Seats — Highly Selective
specialization streams with 30+ electives — International Affairs, Political Economy, and Diplomacy — each building deep expertise while maintaining interdisciplinary breadth.
AIDIA's dual identity means students learn in an environment where policy research meets academic rigour. Access to ongoing diplomatic dialogues, policy briefs, and international conferences is embedded in the student experience from day one.
Nepal sits between two rising powers — India and China — at the heart of Himalayan geopolitics. Kathmandu offers a living laboratory for studying great power competition, connectivity diplomacy, and South-South cooperation.
A 6-credit internship with diplomatic missions, international organisations, think tanks, or government agencies ensures graduates don't just study diplomacy — they practice it before they leave.
Three semesters of compulsory strategic language training equip graduates with diplomatic-grade proficiency in a strategically relevant language — a competitive advantage few graduate programmes offer.
The programme theme examines how Asian geopolitical, economic, and diplomatic dynamics are reshaping the global order — not as a regional study, but as a framework for understanding 21st-century international affairs everywhere.
Inside and Outside the Classroom
Core Courses
Non-Credit Components
Core Courses
Non-Credit Components
Core Courses
Non-Credit Components
Core Courses
Non-Credit Components
36 Cr
Core Courses
13 courses
9 Cr
Electives
3 courses
6 Cr
Internship
Professional
6 Cr
Dissertation
Capstone
Learning Outcomes
Every course, simulation, research project, policy lab, and field engagement in the Master in International Affairs, Economy and Diplomacy (MIAED) is built around ten core learning outcomes. Together, they define the knowledge, skills, and judgment expected of graduates prepared to lead in government, international organizations, diplomacy, business, and public policy.
Learning Outcomes
Understanding regional and global strategic environments.
Today's leaders must understand far more than political events. They must recognize the economic, security, technological, and diplomatic forces shaping the international system. MIAED develops the analytical frameworks needed to interpret complex global developments and make informed strategic decisions.
Graduate Capabilities
By the end of this learning outcome, you will be able to:
Supporting Experiences
Participate in cabinet exercises, diplomatic negotiations, and strategic crisis simulations.
Develop real policy briefs and strategic reports addressing regional and global challenges.
Learn directly from diplomats, policymakers, researchers, ambassadors, and international experts.
Specialization Streams
The MIAED curriculum offers three distinct specialization streams, each designed to develop deep expertise in a critical domain of international affairs. Students select two electives from their principal stream and one from another, building specialized competence while preserving the interdisciplinary breadth essential for strategic leadership.
Elective Course
Elective Course
Elective Course
Elective Course
Elective Course
Programme Structure: Choose two electives from your principal stream and one from another stream — building deep expertise while maintaining interdisciplinary breadth. Additional electives may be available based on faculty availability and student demand.
International Affairs & Strategic Studies
Specialization Stream
International Political Economy & Geoeconomics
Specialization Stream
Diplomacy, Negotiation & Statecraft
Specialization Stream
The AIDIA Advantage
MIAED is not a conventional international relations degree. It is a professionally-oriented, strategically-designed programme that combines the intellectual depth of a think tank with the applied skills of a diplomatic academy.
Unlike traditional academic programs, MIAED is embedded within AIDIA's internationally recognized think tank. Students learn in an environment where research, dialogue, and policy engagement happen every day, connecting classroom learning with real-world policy practice.
Earn a globally recognized master's degree through Kathmandu University while benefiting from AIDIA's practitioner-led curriculum, combining academic rigor with professional relevance.
Study under ambassadors, diplomats, policymakers, economists, security experts, senior civil servants, and international scholars who bring contemporary policy challenges directly into the classroom.
Work on real policy challenges through simulations, policy briefs, research projects, and consulting assignments that develop analytical thinking and practical problem-solving skills.
Located between India and China and home to regional and international organizations, Kathmandu offers a unique environment for studying geopolitics, diplomacy, development, and regional cooperation.
Engage with embassies, international organizations, government institutions, think tanks, and global experts through dialogues, internships, conferences, and policy forums.
Flagship Events
AIDIA convenes diplomats, scholars, and policy leaders through flagship programmes that shape discourse on global governance. These are platforms where policy is debated, partnerships are forged, and the agenda for the region is set.
Reshaping Nepal's global strategy — convening top diplomats, policymakers, and scholars to build national consensus on transforming Nepal into a dynamic economic bridge.
Flagship lecture series featuring Heads of State, Foreign Ministers, and Ambassadors. Past speakers include H.E. Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Former Foreign Secretary of India, and other distinguished leaders who have shaped the foreign policy landscape of South Asia and beyond.
Annual bilateral summit bringing together leading policy minds from Nepal and India to shape the agenda for neighbourhood diplomacy, economic partnership, and sub-regional connectivity — a critical platform at a time of shifting regional dynamics.
Nepal's premier forum on economic statecraft — connecting trade policy, investment diplomacy, and connectivity strategy with global perspectives. This conference has positioned AIDIA as the leading voice on economic diplomacy in the Himalayan region.
Ongoing series of policy discussions on bilateral, regional, and global issues — featuring diplomats, scholars, and practitioners from across the world. Each dialogue produces actionable policy insights and strengthens AIDIA's network of influence.
The Nepal Foreign Policy Conference is the premier flagship initiative of the Asian Institute of Diplomacy and International Affairs (AIDIA), hosted to reshape the nation's global strategy amid a changing world order. This high-level symposium convenes top diplomats, policymakers, and scholars to build a national consensus on transforming Nepal from a geopolitical buffer state into a dynamic economic bridge between India and China.
Facilitating trade and investment between Nepal and Bangladesh — strengthening South-South economic cooperation and sub-regional connectivity. A concrete platform for business engagement that complements diplomatic dialogue with commercial opportunity.
Global Engagements
AIDIA Founder KC presents at Japan's IDE-JETRO
AIDIA, CII host Nepal-India business meet in Siliguri
MoU with Institute for Development & Diplomacy, ADA University
AIDIA spotlights Central Asia ties with Uzbekistan & Tajikistan envoys
Applications for the 2026 Intake Are Now Open
Don't just watch history happen — shape it. Join the next cohort of global changemakers, diplomats, and economic leaders in the MIAED program.
Gain direct access to global diplomatic and corporate networks.
We maintain small class sizes for an elite, highly interactive learning environment.
Designed for both ambitious recent graduates and working professionals.