Hands of a guy on laptop keyboard

DiploNews – Issue 470 – 3 July 2023

Diplo Academy upcoming courses and programmes

🎓 2024 MA in Contemporary Diplomacy (with internet governance specialisation)

Diplo is accepting applications for the 2024 online Master/Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Diplomacy with a specialisation in internet governance, run in cooperation with the University of Malta Department of International Relations. The programme starts on 29 January 2024.

During 16 to 20 months of online study, the programme guides working diplomats, international relations professionals, and internet policymakers through the theoretical and practical building blocks of diplomacy, with a focus on contemporary issues and challenges.

❗ Financial assistance available:

  • Diplo alumni are entitled to a 20% reduction in tuition fees.
  • Applicants from developing countries can be awarded a limited number of partial scholarships.
  • Maltese applicants can benefit from up to 70% off the fee in tax credits as part of the Get Qualified scheme.

For further information and to apply, please visit the MA/PGD in Contemporary Diplomacy web page.

 People, Person, Graduation, Face, Head, Text

🌞 Applications open! Diplo’s 2023 summer online courses

Reserve your place in our popular summer courses!

For further information and to apply, click the course titles above or visit Diplo’s course catalogue.

◆ Need financial assistance? Scholarships and alumni discounts are 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 2023 online courses. Browse our course catalogue and contact us at admissions@diplomacy.edu for further information.


Upcoming events

◆ Empowering African Digital Diplomacy (5 July)

Curious to delve deeper into Africa’s digital priorities, international digital governance processes, and strategies to enhance African stakeholders’ engagement in International Geneva?

Then join us on Wednesday, 5 July, 13:00–14:00 UTC (16:00–17:00 EAT) as we explore the impact of digital technologies on the African diplomatic space, ways to strengthen the participation of African stakeholders, long-term approaches, and more. Register now!

 Art, Graphics, Text, Logo, Pattern

Main takeaways from our recent events

◆ Women in Diplomacy – Equal representation: Are we there yet?

Women remain underrepresented in ambassadorship positions across the world. To celebrate Women in Diplomacy Day, together with a panel of veteran and young diplomats and participants, we discussed the gender gap in diplomacy and shared experiences and best practices. Watch the recording below!


Blogs and publications

◆ 15 reasons to govern AI with 17 SDGs

As AI continues to shape our reality, there are many calls to establish guardrails to guide future AI developments. In his blog post, Jovan Kurbalija discusses why SDGs can make appropriate AI guardrails. Read the blog post!


◆ The emerging language of diplomacy

Have a look at an early analysis of the emerging language of internet governance from 2004. In 2023, as the UN Digital Global Compact is negotiated, this analysis can help us detect continuity and changes in digital governance’s language, framing, and narratives. Read the blog post!



◆ Ancient Greece vs Rome vs Islam: Democracy and inequality

How did ancient Greece, Rome, and Islam tackle the complex dynamics between democracy and inequality? Diplo senior fellow Aldo Matteucci provides illuminating insights in his comparative analysis. Read the blog post!



◆ Severed British–Ugandan ties: The British Interests Section in Kampala, 1976/7

Step into the shoes of diplomats stationed in Kampala and the dangers they faced during the strained British–Ugandan ties of 1976, as Prof. G. R. Berridge analyses the complexities of diplomacy in a time of political turmoil. Read the blog post!


◆ Diplo AI diary: The impact of artificial intelligence on organisations and society

Diplo AI is at it again! In this diary entry, it writes about open-source AI models, AI replacing certain editorial roles, people’s understanding and expectations of AI, the shake-up within Stability AI, the partnership between Snowflake and NVIDIA, the stock market’s response to companies using AI, and Wimbledon using AI to provide audio commentary and captions! Read the blog post!


◆ Digital Watch Weekly, Issue #117

In the latest Digital Watch Weekly (26 June 2023), we looked at how the European Commission’s visit to San Francisco cemented a commitment by US tech giants to adhere to Europe’s new rules; new upcoming AI rulebooks and investigations; and Google and Apple stores undergoing antitrust reviews in India. Read the latest issue and subscribe for more!


Podcasts and videos

◆ Paul Scharre – DiplomacyLight podcast #010

What are autonomous weapon systems? How effectively has multilateral diplomacy addressed novel security issues such as this combination of machine learning and weapons? Our guest is Paul Scharre, author of the groundbreaking book Army of None: Autonomous Weapons and the Future of War. Listen on SoundCloud or watch on YouTube below.

YouTube player

◆ From Al-Khwarizmi to Algorithm Byte-sized Insights #3

Uncover the fascinating story of Al-Khwarizmi, the Persian and Arab mathematician whose contributions shaped the world of AI. As the father of algebra and the eponym of algorithms, Al-Khwarizmi played a pivotal role during the Islamic Golden Age. From his influential works on geography, astronomy, and philosophy to the translation of his book that brought the concept of zero to Europe, his impact on mathematics and the development of modern science and technology is undeniable. Watch the video below!

YouTube player

Don’t miss…

◆ Diplo’s Marilia Maciel new regional leader of Women Inside Trade

Congratulations to Marília Maciel, head of Digital Commerce and Internet Policy at Diplo, for becoming the new regional leader of Women Inside Trade! Marília will collaborate with Caroline Frassão and Marcia Pulcherio, and together they will be following trade developments in Brussels, Paris, and Geneva.

Subscribe to our newsletters to stay up to date!

Subscribe to Diplo's News