DiploNews – Issue 306 – 16 August 2016

Diplo welcomes new team members

At Diplo, we are strengthening our team of experts on digital policy and Internet governance. We are proud to welcome two well-known names in the field as full-time staff members: Marília Maciel and Sorina Teleanu. Both Marília and Sorina will support our major projects including the Geneva Internet Platform (GIP) and the GIP Digital Watch observatory. More info.

We are also pleased to strengthen our team with new experts on diplomacy and international relations. We welcome Katharina Höne and Solange Cross Mike – both long-time Diplo associates – now joining us as full time staff members. We look forward to their contributions especially to our research and teaching activities.

Upcoming study opportunities

Education Diplomacy Online Course

Diplo and the Center for Education Diplomacy are pleased to announce the second session of the online course on Education Diplomacy. Education and development are rapidly being shaped by the influence of new actors, international policy, funding structures, and the proliferation of initiatives. This interactive online course presents the concept of Education Diplomacy in depth, considers the broader impact it may have on education, and allows participants to become more effective and responsive to the dynamic landscape of education. The next course starts on 26 September 2016; apply by 30 August. Partial scholarships are available for selected candidates from developing countries who are active in the field of Education Diplomacy. For more details and to apply, visit the course webpage or contact admissions@diplomacy.edu

2017 Master/Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Diplomacy

Diplo is accepting applications for the 2017 Master/Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Diplomacy, and the Master/Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Diplomacy with an Internet Governance specialisation. These unique postgraduate programmes, offered in cooperation with the University of Malta, include a 10-day residential workshop in Malta followed by 16–20 months of online learning. Visit the Master in Contemporary Diplomacy webpage to read more and to apply. Scholarships covering 20–50% of the Postgraduate Diploma fee are available for applicants from small and developing states. The programme starts on 1 February 2017. The application deadline is 1 October 2016 for international applicants and 15 November 2016 for Maltese applicants.

Autumn online courses

Diplo offers a wide range of exciting online courses this autumn, starting the week of 3 October.

• Consular and Diaspora Diplomacy
• Cybersecurity
• Development Diplomacy
• Economic Diplomacy
• Language and Diplomacy

Apply by 29 August 2016 for Diplo certificate courses. For further information or to apply, click on the titles of the courses above, or visit our courses webpage. Register now to reserve your place.

Malta scholarships

Thanks to support from the government of Malta, partial scholarships are available for applicants from developing countries to attend upcoming Diplo online courses. These scholarships cover 50-70% of course fees and can be applied to any online course in 2016. Browse our course catalogue and contact us at admissions@diplomacy.edu for further information.

Diplo and GIP at various digital policy events

DiploFoundation and the Geneva Internet Platform are participating in a number of digital policy events in the next few weeks. Dr Katharina Hoene will be joining other experts at the Global ICT Capacity Building Symposium in Nairobi, Kenya, on 5-8 September. She will be delivering presentations on ICT capacity building. Dr Tereza Horejsova will be attending the IG MENA Summit from 30 September to 2 October, where she will be sharing perspectives on two global-to-­local support projects that have contributed to capacity development in the MENA region. Last week, Ms Marilia Maciel, Diplo’s Digital Policy Senior Researcher, joined other experts to deliver training in Cybersecurity during the Middle East and Adjoining Countries School in Internet Governance, organised by ICANN in Beirut, Lebanon (8-12 August). Follow our calendar for more updates and past events.

Briefing and newsletter: Internet governance in July and August

The digital policy developments over the summer months will be analysed during our next Internet governance briefing, on Tuesday, 30th August. What were the main Internet governance updates and how will they shape future developments? Participate online, or from Geneva, or from any of the hubs; fill in the registration form to reserve your place. The next issue of the Geneva Digital Watch newsletter, summarising the developments in July and August, is out 23 August.

Our next WebDebate: Why and how to teach negotiations?

Our September WebDebate focuses on the questions of why and how to teach negotiations, one of the core skills of diplomatic practice. Some argue that negotiation skills cannot be taught and are only acquired through practice. While it is true that any skill is honed through deliberative practice, Prof. Raymond Saner and Prof. Paul Meerts, guests of our September WebDebate, on Tuesday, 6th September, at 11 UTC, will argue that teaching negotiations is not only possible but absolutely crucial. Meerts and Saner will include examples and point to best practices from their own rich experience as teachers of international negotiations. The topics under debate will be crucial points for reflection for practitioners and academics alike. Learn more and join us for the WebDebate. 

What’s been happening in Diplo’s blogsphere

Diplo’s Vladimir Radunovic writes about The Dark Web: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly. He describes the dark web as a part of the deep web, that portion of the Internet which is ‘invisible’ because it is not indexed by search engines, and explains how the dark web contains the good, the bad, and the ugly. While, on the good side, the dark web enables secure communication for activists, human rights defenders, and journalists, on the bad and ugly sides, criminal operations are flourishing in the anonymity of the dark net. Tiago Maurício reflects on Studying public diplomacy – experiences of a Portuguese diplomat. Maurício is a Portuguese diplomat and alumnus of Diplo’s Asia-Europe Public Diplomacy course. In his blog, he emphasises the value of studying public diplomacy and highlights examples from the Portuguese experience.