DiploNews – Issue 440 – 1 April 2022
Upcoming study opportunities
🌼 Applications open! Diplo’s 2022 spring online courses
Register to reserve your place in our popular spring courses:
👉 Application deadlines for certificates issued by Diplo: 27 April 2022
We are happy to celebrate Diplo’s 20th anniversary with an increased alumni discount of 20% on all courses until the end of 2022!
For further information and to apply, click the course titles above or visit Diplo’s course catalogue.
◆ Need financial assistance? Scholarships available!
Thanks to the support from the government of Malta, partial scholarships are available for applicants from developing countries to attend upcoming Diplo online courses. These scholarships cover 30%–60% of course fees and can be applied to most online courses in 2022. Browse our course catalogue and contact us at admissions@diplomacy.edu for further information.
Upcoming events
◆ Science Diplomacy in 2022: More Cooperation or More Division? (WebDebate #54) (5 Apr.)
Science diplomacy offers many tools for fostering collaboration among states and other stakeholders. Yet, practitioners and scholars have pointed out that science diplomacy does not automatically lead to more peaceful relations between countries, and that international cooperation to reach common goals cannot be taken for granted. Join us as we discuss the future of science diplomacy with Dr Kimberly Montgomery (AAAS) and Mr Alexis Roig (SciTech DiploHub) on Tuesday, 5th April, at 13:00 UTC (15:00 CEST). Register now!
◆ Internet governance in April 2022 (Briefing #84)
April has just started, but you can rest assured that on Tuesday, 26th April, at 12:00 UTC (14:00 CEST), we will bring you the usual analysis of major internet governance and digital policy updates from around the globe. Register now!
Main takeaways from our recent events
◆ The digital side of conflict: sanctions, freedoms, and the global internet (Briefing #83)
In our latest Internet Governance Briefing episode, in light of the war in Ukraine, we asked: how are sanctions and the restriction of freedoms affecting the global internet, and is there a future for a truly global internet? Watch the recording!
◆ Towards a More Diverse International Standardisation Landscape: Motivations and Actions for Stakeholders in the ARIN Region
At the event, we continued our discussion on international digital standards, and how regional stakeholders can strengthen their cooperation on digital standardisation issues at both regional and international levels. Watch the recording!
Blogs and publications
◆ Cyber Detente Barometer #9
The monthly newsletter looks at the current state of cyber detente between the USA and Russia. In this publication we underlined how the war in Ukraine has put the cyber detente on hold, so much that news about the US–Russian cyber relations were practically non-existent. Read it here!
◆ Cybercrime: Recognising and preventing malicious activities online
In 2020, 560 healthcare organisations fell victim to ransomware attacks. In his post, Mexican diplomat and Diplo alumnus Guillaume Michel writes about the types of cybercrime we face today and how best to prevent them. Read the blog post!
◆ 5 things to know about central bank digital currency (CBDC)
In his blog post, Diplo’s Arvin Kamberi explains how there will be two different forms of CBDC, how standards will play an important role, heightened financial privacy concerns, the future of the network itself, and more! Read the blog post!
◆ Digital Watch Weekly newsletters
Your weekend reads are here! The latest Digital Watch issues offer analysis on a number of issues, including: extensive coverage on the digital aspect of the war in Ukraine, the UK online safety bill, semiconductors, Joe Biden’s State of the Union Address, children’s well-being online, cryptocurrencies, and more. Read the latest issues: Issue 77 | Issue 78
Interested in our newsletters? Subscribe and don’t miss any of them!
Diplo team at external events
◆ Official Geneva presentation of the special UNDP report on human security (17 Mar.)
How can we improve human security in light of emerging threats in the 21st century? This event served as Geneva’s official presentation of the UNDP’s special report titled New Threats to Human Security in the Anthropocene: Demanding Greater Solidarity.
The event was organised by the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP) and the UN Development Programme’s (UNDP) Geneva office, and saw the participation of Jovan Kurbalija (Executive Director, Diplo; Head, Geneva Internet Platform). Watch the recording!
◆ The trade and digital diplomacy nexus: Markets, connectivity, and technology (16 Mar.)
Connectivity and digitalisation have become drivers of globalisation and successful trade policies. However, the pandemic and rapid technological growth of a selected few have highlighted the global digital divide and the growing vulnerabilities produced by this digitalisation. This roundtable discussed best practices to open small- and medium-sized countries’ access to ameliorated digital policies, and close the global digital gap.
This event was organised by Friends of Europe, and saw the participation of Diplo’s Marília Maciel (Head, Digital Commerce and Internet Policy). Watch the recording!
Don’t miss …
◆ ISIF Asia grants
Information Society Innovation Fund (ISIF Asia) has opened the 2022 grants cycle across three thematic areas: inclusion, infrastructure, and knowledge. These grants aim to empower organisations across the Asia-Pacific region to research, design, and implement internet-based solutions to solve internet development challenges that support community development and growth.
Diplo applauds the opening of grants across all three programmes to support innovative solutions to the environmental impact of the internet. The Ian Peter Grants for Internet and the Environment will be made to commemorate the life and work of Ian Peter, internet pioneer and environmental activist. More information on the official website.