DiploNews – Issue 287 – 2 November 2015

Upcoming study opportunities

2016 Master/Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Diplomacy – last few places left; scholarships available

DiploFoundation is accepting applications for the 2016 Master/PGD in Contemporary Diplomacy, and the Master/PGD 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 learn 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 2016. The application deadline is 15 November 2015 for Maltese applicants. International applicants wishing to apply are asked to contact Admissions.

February 2016 online diplomacy courses

Start the new year with one of our most popular online courses:

• Diplomatic Theory and Practice
• Public Diplomacy
• Introduction to Internet Governance

Apply by 14 December 2015 for University of Malta accredited courses and by 11 January 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.

Sign up for our courses mailing list to be informed about upcoming courses.

GIP Digital Watch: Issue 5 is out!

Another issue of GIP Digital Watch is out. Issue 5 rounds up the developments in digital policy in October, and provides special features on ongoing policy processes. The highlights of this issue include:  

• Digital policy developments in Geneva, including updates from two ITU events, the Inter-Parliamentary Union assembly, and a just-in-time training course on radio-frequency diplomacy.
• An update on what to expect during the 10th Internet Governance Forum (IGF). Diplo, in collaboration with the Internet Society, will provide reports from IGF workshops, complementing the dynamic updates on GIP Digital Watch.
• The main developments in October, from the judgments of the Court of Justice of the European Union, to updates on cybersecurity, privacy, net neutrality, e-commerce, and more.
• Interview with Thomas Schneider, ICANN GAC chairman: the Swiss cyber-diplomat shares his views on the IANA transition and overall global digital policy.
• Special features on the latest updates from the WSIS+10 review process, and the IANA transition and ICANN accountability process.
• What’s in store for the future of the IGF? Read our horoscope!

IGF Report: Updates from the 10th Internet Governance Forum

Diplo's team and collaborators will be closely following the IGF to be held in Brazil during the week of 9 November. The reporting project will bring you daily updates from important sessions as well as a final summary report available 48 hours after the event. Stay tuned to GIP Digital Watch where information on Diplo and the GIP's engagement in various workshops at the IGF will be available. For more information, contact Tereza at terezah@diplomacy.edu

Internet Governance in October

Many digital policy areas increased in relevance in October when compared to previous months, the IG Barometer for October revealed. This was due to a number of events, court judgements, and other discussions which took place during the month, and which continued to shape the main digital policy processes and issues. The October developments were summarised during the Geneva Internet Platform’s monthly webinar briefing. Read the webinar digest, and follow the links to view the recording and download the presentation. Join us for the next briefing on 24 November; registrations are now open. The briefing will be delivered live in Geneva, and online for remote participants.

Discussing Internet governance

On Diplo’s IG community, Virginia (Ginger) Paque invites alumni and community members to share the IGF-related activities they are involved in. ‘It is definitely IGF time again, and important things are happening in the IG and IGF worlds. We know you are involved, and we would like to know about your IG, and especially your IGF, activities. Please tell us what you are doing so that the Diplo community can join and support you in Brazil or online.’

Mamadou Lo shares the regular updates on digital policy developments: read his weekly web reviews for 16 October, 23 October, and 30 October.

Follow more IG-related news and discussions on Diplo’s Internet governance channel and on Diplo’s IG community blog roll.

Book review: Diplomacy: Theory and Practice, 5th Edition

We invite you to enjoy the latest book review by Petru Dumitriu, Diplo’s lecturer on Multilateral Diplomacy. In this elegantly written article, he reviews the latest edition of the classic Diplomacy: Theory and Practice, by Professor GR Berridge, a Diplo Senior Fellow. A short sample:

The theorist is supposed to know more than the practitioner. In turn, the practitioner is (obviously) expected to do more than the theorist. Yet, Berridge knows so much about the practice of diplomacy that the intelligent practitioner ought to learn from his book if he aims at doing better. The author gives the impression that he does not spend his time among books on shelves, but among diplomats at work. He interprets facts so ably that he makes theory very comfortable for practitioners.