DiploNews – Issue 330 – 17 August 2017

Upcoming study and training opportunities

New course on Negotiation Skills

Non-traditional areas of diplomacy (education diplomacy, health diplomacy, Internet governance, humanitarian diplomacy, development diplomacy, amongst others) require the use of diplomatic skills to build bridges across sectors, diverse actors, and borders. This course on Negotiation Skills, offered by DiploFoundation and the Center for Education Diplomacy, is a practical, interactive course that equips participants with the skills to successfully prepare, undertake, and conclude negotiations in formal and informal settings with government and non-government actors alike. The course introduces the concept and principles of negotiation and reflects on the role of power and empathy in negotiation. It introduces key skills supported by case studies and practical learning activities, including an online simulation exercise. Rather than going into the theoretical considerations of negotiation, such as game theory or group decision-making theory, the course focuses on key skills that are valuable for a variety of negotiations. This new online course starts on 18 September 2017 and the application deadline is 21 August 2017. Please visit the course webpage to read more and apply.

Applications open for the 2018 Master/Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Diplomacy

Diplo is now accepting applications for the 2018 Master/Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Diplomacy, and the Master/Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Diplomacy with a specialisation in Internet governance. These unique postgraduate programmes, offered in co-operation 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. Scholarships covering 20–50% of the Postgraduate Diploma fee are available for applicants from small and developing states. The programme starts on 5 February 2018. The application deadline is 15 October 2017 for international applicants and 15 November 2017 for Maltese applicants.

Autumn courses on diplomacy and digital policy

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 4 September 2017 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 30–70% of course fees and can be applied to most online courses in 2017. Browse our course catalogue and contact us at admissions@diplomacy.edu for further information.

For more information on any of our courses and on partial scholarships, contact admissions@diplomacy.edu. You can also sign up for our courses mailing list to be informed about upcoming courses.


WebDebate: Should we take ‘new diplomacies’ seriously?

Our next WebDebate asks the question: should we take ‘new diplomacies’ seriously? For some, the term describes the involvement of new actors and the emergence of new topics on the global agenda. They argue that the term captures important shifts in the way in which international relations are conducted. Terms such as digital diplomacy, health diplomacy, environmental diplomacy, and education diplomacy, amongst others highlight new diplomatic practices – using new tools, involving new actors, and demanding a more specialised skill-set. As these ‘new diplomacies’ seem to gain traction, it is important to engage once more in a debate about the value of new diplomacy in it various forms. To debate this important topic for the future of the practice and study of diplomacy, we are joined by Mr Shaun Riordan, Senior Visiting Fellow at the Clingendael Institute, and Dr Jovan Kurbalija, the Founding Director of DiploFoundation and Head of the Geneva Internet Platform. Join us on 5 September, at 11:00 UTC (13:00 CEST). Register to reserve your place. 

Internet governance in July and August

What were the main Internet governance updates in July and August, and how will they shape future developments? What can we expect in September? Join us for our next monthly briefing, on Tuesday, 29th August; registrations are now open.

Until our next briefing, take a look at Dr Jovan Kurbalija’s mid-year review of digital policy. The digital weather remains unsettled; various crises brought occasional storms; Internet growth and innovation triggered a few sunny spells. Read the mid-year analysis.

DeadlineR: a new way of keeping track of digital policy events

One of the aims of the GIP Digital Watch observatory is to address the concrete and pressing needs of the digital policy community in a practical and functional way, such as the need to keep track of the many policy events and their related deadlines. With this in mind, we have developed DeadlineR, a notification system which allows users of the observatory to receive reminders for deadlines. These include deadliners to register for an event, to submit workshop proposals, to submit papers, etc. Try out the pilot version by visiting our Upcoming Events section.

What’s been happening in Diplo’s blogsphere

In Cyberterrorism: What are we (not) talking about? guest blogger Irina Rizmal starts off with a critical look at the definition of cyberterrorism in order to highlight the gaps in our field of vision. She calls for ‘security policies in line with actual threats and challenges, and not wider political, geostrategic interests’. Diplo’s Arvin Kamberi updates us on the latest developments in digital currency in his blog ‘Bitcoin split and the Segregated Witness’. After looking at the recent developments in the debate, the workings of the decentralised decision-making system, and the creation of the new crypto currency Bitcoin Cash, he adds his analsysis of the future of the Bitcoin payment system.