Advanced Diploma in Internet Governance
Internet governance (IG) has become one of the most important policy areas of our time. Topics like privacy protection, human rights online, and cybersecurity are increasingly in the focus of global policymaking. How we manage the internet will define much of our society, yet the growing relevance of the internet is not yet supported by effective and inclusive IG.
The Advanced Diploma in Internet Governance (ADIG) online capacity development programme gives current and future internet policymakers a solid foundation in practical and diplomatic skills, as well as techniques necessary to engage effectively in global policy processes.
Acquiring the diploma
To obtain the advanced diploma in IG, participants must, within a three-year period, successfully complete at least three of five specialised online courses on offer:
- Introduction to Internet Governance
- Artificial Intelligence: Technology, Governance, and Policy Frameworks
- Internet Technology and Policy: Challenges and Solutions
- E-Diplomacy
- Cybersecurity
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Note: If you have already completed one or more of the five courses and wish to apply for the diploma, please contact us at admissions@diplomacy.edu. |
Programe details
Admissions
Who should apply
Fees and scholarships
Reviews
Programme details
Structure
The Advanced Diploma in Internet Governance (ADIG) programme requires completing at least three of the five courses on offer within a three-year period, with a grade of at least 75% for each. Candidates must also write at least one final assignment and obtain a grade of at least 70% for the assignment.
The five courses currently on offer are:
- Introduction to Internet Governance
- Artificial Intelligence: Technology, Governance, and Policy Frameworks
- Internet Technology and Policy: Challenges and Solutions
- E-Diplomacy
- Cybersecurity
Note: The Artificial Intelligence: Technology, Governance, and Policy Frameworks course includes a mandatory final assignment. If the AI course is one of your three chosen courses, please keep this in mind when selecting in which course you will submit your final assignment.
The programme language is English, giving non-native speakers a valuable opportunity to practise and hone their skills at expressing and explaining work-related concepts in this international language.
Candidates who successfully complete the programme will receive The ADIG diploma awarded by DiploFoundation (Diplo), a non-profit organisation. It is not a university diploma.
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Insider's tip: You can complete the courses for ECTS credits from the University of Malta (UoM) which you can then use to apply for our Master/Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Diplomacy which offers an internet governance specialisation option. Visit UoM’s Accredited Courses section to learn more about this option. |
Learning methodology
Each week, participants read the provided lecture text and add questions, comments, and references online. Lecturers and other participants read and respond to these entries, creating interaction based on the lecture text. During the week, participants also complete additional activities (e.g. further discussion via classroom blogs and forums, quizzes, group tasks, essays, simulation exercises, or short assignments). At the end of the week, participants and lecturers meet online in real time to discuss the week’s topic. Evaluation is based on participation in course discussions and on several assignments for each course.
Courses are based on a collaborative approach to learning, involving a high level of interaction that requires a minimum of seven to eight hours of study time per week.
Lecturers
Online courses are delivered by Diplo’s faculty members: high-ranking practising and retired experts, and renowned academics in the fields of internet governance, diplomacy, and international relations.
Dr Stephanie Borg Psaila
Director of Digital Policy
Dr Stephanie Borg Psaila is the Director for Digital Policy at DiploFoundation, and the Editor of the GIP Digital Watch observatory. In 2018-2019, she served as Diplo's Interim Director and Head of Geneva Internet Platform, replacing Founding Director Dr Jovan Kurbalija during his one-year position as co-Executive Director of the Secretariat of the United Nations High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation.
Stephanie holds a Doctorate in Law (LL.D.), a Master's in Contemporary Diplomacy, and two law-related diplomas from the University of Malta, and her special areas of interest include legal issues in digital policy, human rights, and e-diplomacy. She holds a warrant to practice as a Notary Public in Malta, and is a former journalist with The Sunday Times of Malta.
Dr Katharina Höne
Director of Research
Dr Katharina (Kat) E Höne researches, writes, and teaches on a number of issues in the area of diplomacy, global governance, and the impact of technology on international relations. Over the last years, she has focused on research at the intersection of diplomacy and technology. She was part of a research project on Data Diplomacy: Updating diplomacy to the big data era and the lead researcher and author of Mapping the challenges and opportunities of artificial intelligence for the conduct of diplomacy report, both supported by the Ministry for Foreign of Affairs of Finland. In addition, she has more than 10 years of experience in teaching international relations at universities in the UK and Germany, and in delivering in-situ, blended, and online training to diplomatic practitioners. Kat holds an MA in Diplomatic Studies (University of Leicester, UK) and a PhD in International Politics (University of Aberystwyth, UK). In her work, she is driven by her aim to level the playing field at international negotiation tables through capacity development, and to provide out-of-the-box thinking and inspiration by drawing on her passion for science-fiction.
Dr Jovan Kurbalija
Executive Director
Dr Jovan Kurbalija is the Executive Director of DiploFoundation and Head of the Geneva Internet Platform (GIP). He was a member of the UN Working Group on Internet Governance (2004‒2005), special advisor to the Chairman of the UN Internet Governance Forum (2006‒2010), and a member of the High Level Multistakeholder Committee for NETmundial (2013‒2014). In 2018-2019, he served as co-Executive Director of the Secretariat of the United Nations (UN) High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation.
A former diplomat, Jovan has a professional and academic background in international law, diplomacy, and information technology. He has been a pioneer in the field of cyber diplomacy since 1992 when he established the Unit for Information Technology and Diplomacy at the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies in Malta, and later, DiploFoundation.
Since 1997, Jovan’s research and articles on cyber diplomacy have shaped research and policy discussion on the impact of the Internet on diplomacy and international relations. His book, An Introduction to Internet Governance, has been translated into 9 languages and is used as a textbook for academic courses worldwide. He lectures on e-diplomacy and Internet governance in academic and training institutions in many countries, including Austria (Diplomatic Academy of Vienna), Belgium (College of Europe), Switzerland (University of St Gallen), Malta (University of Malta), and the United States (University of Southern California).
His publishes regular articles on DiploFoundation's blog, and the Huffington Post.
Ms Marília Maciel
Digital Policy Senior Researcher
Brazilian-born Ms Marília Maciel is currently based in Strasbourg, France. She is involved in several Internet- governance-related projects, notably on the fields of digital economy, e-commerce, and cybersecurity. She also curates the topics of e-commerce, Access and Digital Divide for the GIP Digital Watch Observatory and represents Diplo at various meetings.
Prior to joining Diplo, Ms Marília Maciel was a researcher and coordinator of the Center for Technology and Society of the Getulio Vargas Foundation (CTS/FGV) in Rio de Janeiro. She served as a councillor at ICANN´s Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) representing the Non-Commercial Stakeholder Group (NCSG). Marília is a former member of the Working Group on Improvements to the Internet Governance Forum (2011–2012), created under the auspices of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development (UN CSTD). She was also a member of the Multistakeholder Executive Committee of NETmundial and represented CTS/FGV in meetings of the Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). She served in the Consultative Chamber on Internet Security and Rights of the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI.br).
Marília is a PhD candidate at the University of Bordeaux Montaigne, on Information and Communication Sciences. She holds an MA in Latin American Integration from the Federal University of Santa Maria (2008) and a law degree from the Federal University of Pernambuco (2005), where she was awarded a research grant from the State of Pernambuco Research Foundation (FACEPE) to investigate issues related to taxation and electronic commerce.
Ms Virginia Paque
Internet Governance and E-diplomacy Programmes
Born (and currently residing) in the United States, Ms Virginia (Ginger) Paque lived in Venezuela for more than 35 years. An educator and administrator by profession, she has 25 years’ experience in business and manufacturing systems consulting. As a board member of the United Nations Association of Venezuela, her work as the Venezuelan member of the World Federation of United Nations Associations Task Force on WSIS marked her entry to the world of Internet governance (IG) during the Geneva PrepComs. Active in Civil Society discussions on IG, Ginger served as IG Caucus co-coordinator for two years. She was a member of the UN Internet Governance Forum (IGF) Multistakeholder Advisory Group (MAG) from 2015 to 2017, with a specific focus on moving online 'observation' to online 'participation' for greater inclusion. Having completed a Master in Contemporary Diplomacy with a thesis focusing on the importance of IG as a new diplomatic priority, Ginger currently lectures on IG for Diplo and curates human rights topics for the GIP Digital Watch observatory. Accessibility to support inclusion is a high priority, particularly through support for persons with disabilities and multilingual approaches.
Mr Vladimir Radunović
Cybersecurity and E-diplomacy Programmes Director
Serbian-born Mr Vladimir (Vlada) Radunović is a lecturer in cybersecurity policy, Internet governance, and e-diplomacy on postgraduate and professional courses. He also serves as an expert with the Geneva Internet Platform. He served as a member of the Advisory Board of the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise (GFCE) from 2016 to 2020, and a member of the Multistakeholder Advisory Group of the UN Internet Governance Forum (IGF) from 2012 to 2014. Vlada has been a lecturer, speaker, and resource person on a number of educational and training programmes and events worldwide, including within the WSIS and IGF processes. His professional and research focus is on Internet governance, broadband policy and net neutrality, cybersecurity and cyber-diplomacy, e-diplomacy, and capacity development. He holds an MSc in Electrical Engineering from the University of Belgrade and a Master’s in Contemporary Diplomacy from the University of Malta. He is currently working on his PhD in cybersecurity. Vlada is currently member of the Board of Directors of Diplo US.
Admissions
Please apply online for each of your three selected courses based on the application deadline for each course. Click the links below to read more about the five ADIG available courses, learn when the next session is scheduled, check the application deadline, and access the online application forms.
- Introduction to Internet Governance
- Artificial Intelligence: Technology, Governance, and Policy Frameworks
- Internet Technology and Policy: Challenges and Solutions
- E-Diplomacy
- Cybersecurity
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Insider's tip: You can apply for the ADIG diploma at any point of your studies. Please contact us at admissions@diplomacy.edu for more information. |
Who should apply
This programme will be of interest to:
- Officials in government ministries, departments, regulatory bodies, or institutions dealing with information society, internet, and ICT-related policy issues (e.g. telecommunications, education, foreign affairs, and justice)
- Postgraduate students, academics, and researchers in the IG field (e.g. telecommunications, electrical engineering, law, economics, diplomacy, international relations, development studies)
- Civil society activists in the IG and information society fields
- Journalists covering IG issues
- Individuals in internet business-related fields (e.g. internet service providers (ISPs) and software developers).
Applicants for this programme must have:
- Bachelor’s degree in a relevant subject, or basic IG knowledge and/or experience of the multistakeholder approach in international affairs
- Sufficient knowledge of the English language to undertake postgraduate-level studies, including reading academic texts, discussing complex concepts with other course participants, and submitting written essay assignments
- Regular access to the internet (broadband is preferred)
- A minimum of seven to eight hours of commitment per week, and the readiness to participate in online class meetings (once a week at specified times)
Fees and scholarships
The programme requires the completion of three ADIG online courses; the fee for each course is €690. There is no additional fee for obtaining the ADIG diploma beyond the fee for each individual course.
Discounts
Diplo alumni members are eligible for a 15% discount on course fees. Discounts are available for more than one participant from the same institution.
Financial assistance
A limited number of partial scholarships are available for diplomats and others working in international relations from small and developing countries through support from the Government of Malta.
A limited number of partial scholarships are available for civil society applicants working in the field of digital policy through support from the Ford Foundation.
To apply for a scholarship, please upload your CV and a motivation letter with your course application. The motivation letter should include:
- Details of your relevant professional and educational background
- Reasons for your interest in the course
- Why you feel you should have the opportunity to participate in this course, and how will your participation benefit you, your institution, and/or your country
As Diplo’s ability to offer scholarship support is limited, candidates are strongly encouraged to seek scholarship funding directly from local or international institutions.
The Advanced Diploma in Internet Governance is ideally suited for busy professionals who need to get a good grasp of the core Internet technical infrastructure and how it relates to global public policy issues. The course material is constantly updated by experts to reflect the latest developments of this fast-paced environment and this leads to extremely interesting and stimulating discussions with fellow students and lecturers. The programme challenges your ideas and broadens your perspectives in how the Internet is really governed.
In obtaining the Advanced Diploma in Internet Governance, I took three online courses at DiploFoundation, i.e., Introduction to Internet Governance, E-Diplomacy, and Internet Technology and Policy. As a mid-level diplomat exposed mainly to traditional diplomatic concerns, the program provided comprehensive working knowledge on the technical and policy aspects of the international governance of the Internet. The courses provided an overview of Internet Governance, probed the challenges and opportunities faced by diplomatic actors in the Internet Age, and comprehensively tackled the main online technologies and their nexus with key Internet principles. I was particularly impressed with the in-depth knowledge and diverse backgrounds of the lecturers and my classmates. The online discussions were stimulating and cutting-edge. This is an excellent program for those who wish to understand and help shape the ever-expanding online world.
This programme enabled me to understand the important dimension which Cyberspace and online communications bring to foreign policy and national, regional and global public policy. From the perspective of a participant from a developing country, the online courses help to bridge the knowledge gap by creating a unique experience for the learner who is able to grasp so much from the shared experiences and perspectives of lecturers and colleagues from across the world. Opportunities for applied knowledge also enable participants to integrate core skills and build expertise which they can rapidly put into practice.