The speaker favours a mix: obligatory courses every student in a major must master (international relations theory, international law, key conventions) plus elective courses chosen by interest — so students effectively build their own curriculum while still learning the essentials. Total freedom with no mandatory courses would be wrong, since some students just want a diploma and leave, which would damage the university’s prestige; and no one can be a good diplomat without the core knowledge. He values that the first year is broad and specialization comes later, and encourages curiosity, since the knowledge always proves useful — as it did during his internship at the Ukrainian consulate.