DiploNews – Issue 360 – 3 December 2018

Upcoming study opportunities

Capacity Development course

Capacity development has been emerging as a central approach within development for more than two decades. To help development professionals better understand and master this paradigm, this interactive online course introduces the key concepts, principles, and values of capacity development. The main focus is on building practical skills for better design, planning, implementation, and assessment of capacity development initiatives. The next session starts 18 Feburary 2019 and the application deadline is 14 January 2019. Please visit the course webpage to read more and apply.

Humanitarian Diplomacy Diploma course

Apply now for the next session of the popular online course Humanitarian Diplomacy, offered in co-operation with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). This highly interactive 13-week course, led by Ambassador Christopher Lamb and a team of experienced practitioners, extends the knowledge base and develops practical skills of current and future practitioners in humanitarian diplomacy and policy. The course familiarises participants with basic definitions, concepts, actors, and institutions in the field of humanitarian diplomacy; introduces international humanitarian law; hones advocacy and negotiation skills; develops participants’ research skills; and increases their understanding of national and regional humanitarian diplomacy activities.
 The course is offered in English; however, participants have the option to write and submit major course assignments and the final research paper in French or Spanish.
 The next session starts 18 February 2019 and the application deadline is 14 January 2019. Please visit the course webpage to read more and apply.

February 2019 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 17 December 2018 for University of Malta accredited courses and by 14 January 2019 for Diplo certificate courses. For further information or to apply, click on the titles of the courses listed, 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%–60% of course fees and can be applied to most online courses in 2019. Browse our course catalogue and contact us at admissions@diplomacy.edu for further information. You can also sign up for our courses mailing list to be informed about upcoming courses.


Students graduate with a Master in Contemporary Diplomacy

Eleven students have graduated with a Master’s degree in Contemporary Diplomacy from the University of Malta and DiploFoundation. Six of the students undertook a specialisation in Internet governance. Learn more about the graduates’ research topics. The ceremony took place on 27 November at the Jesuit’s Church in Valletta, Malta. View the photo gallery. The graduation was the culmination of months of study and hard work. DiploFoundation congratulates the students on their graduation, and thanks the faculty members who supervised the work of these graduates.

Final report from the 13th Internet Governance Forum

The IGF will need to adapt quickly in order to remain relevant in the fast-changing digital world. This was the writing on the ‘IGF wall’ in keynote addresses, workshops, and corridor discussions.

Download the full IGF 2018 report and visit the Digital Watch Observatory to read session reports from the 13th IGF.

[WebDebate] AI on the international agenda – where do we go from here?

In our December WebDebate, we will be looking at artificial intelligence (AI) in relation to its growing geo-strategic importance and relevance for various topics on the international agenda. We will explore these new topics and the geo-strategic shifts related to AI with two experts: Mr Mike Nelson (cloudflare, USA) and Mr Claudio Lucena (Paraiba State University, Brazil, and the Foundation for Science and Technology, Portugal). Read more about the event on our dedicated page and join us on Tuesday, 4th December at 12:00 UTC (13:00 CET). Register to reserve your place.

[Webinar] What is the role of civil society and communities towards a peaceful cyberspace?

In the [Webinar] What is the role of civil society and communities towards a peaceful cyberspace? The Geneva Dialogue on Responsible Behaviour in Cyberspace aims to analyse the roles and responsibilities of states, industry actors and civil society, academic and tech communities in contributing to greater security and stability in cyberspace. The webinar will take place on Friday, 7th December at 12:00 UTC (13:00 CET). Register online to take part.

Diplo opens office in Washington DC

Diplo is happy to announce the opening of a new office in Washington DC. The office is located in the New America building: Diplo US, 740 15th Street NW, 20005 Washington, DC, USA. Contact us at: +1 202 413 9233 and diplous@diplomacy.edu.

What’s been happening in Diplo’s blogosphere

New blog posts by Andrijana Gavrilovic summarise two of our recent online events. The summary of our November WebDebate on blockchain gives an overview of the technology and then summarises key points of the debate including the general applications and implications of the technology, questions around personal data, the relationship between blockchain and the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, and reasons for the slow uptake of the technology. A second blog post summarises this month’s Internet governance briefing. Among the main issues were the continuation of data breaches and a tougher backlash against tech companies, a new push for EU tax on tech giants, and a possible change in applying antitrust rules to protect competition.