New York Introduction to Digital Policy and Diplomacy course comes to a successful conclusion

Some 28 participants from 25 countries around the world attended and successfully completed the Introduction to Digital Policy and Diplomacy course, running from 25 March to 15 May 2019, in New York. This was the second session of this interactive blended learning course offered by the Geneva Internet Platform (GIP) and DiploFoundation in co-operation with the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the UN in New York.

Course participants were diplomats posted at permanent missions to the UN in New York. During the seven week blended learning course, they discussed readings each week using interactive online tools in an online classroom, completed weekly assignments, and met once a week to discuss current events in the field of digital policy.

Despite the fast pace of a diplomat’s work in New York, all 28 registered participants completed the required course activities. Following the course, participants said that it covered the digital topics of most importance and interest to diplomats based in New York. They particularly enjoyed the weekly meetings and interacting in person with classmates and course lecturers. As one participant commented, the workload was just right, the interactions were convenient, and overall the course was ‘very suitable for participants from the permanent missions.’

A similar blended learning course will be offered in partnership with New America for a wider stakeholder group in the Washington DC area in the fall of 2019.

Weekly class meeting
 

Ms Melissa Hathaway, course lecturer, and President of Hathaway Global Strategies, explained that the programme unpacks complex topics like cybersecurity, digital human rights, and digital development into one week segments led by leading practitioners in their respective fields of expertise: ‘DiploFoundation has developed a unique online and in-person learning environment for diplomats − Digital Policy and Diplomacy. The online platform facilitates exchange of ideas and learning prior to the in-person classroom discussion. Each of our countries is in the middle of a digital transformation and it is imperative that our leaders understand the core governance issues. This course is a great introduction to the fundamentals of what they must know to be effective in their job.’

Ms Anne-Rachel Inné, course lecturer, and Executive Director, Government Affairs and Public Policy, ARIN, thanked all the participants in the course: ‘I truly enjoyed the interaction and encourage all of you to stay in touch with all of us on the course team. We’ll be happy to answer questions that you have on the subjects that we touched and any others that hopefully we could shed light on. I would like to also thank the team at DIPLO. Without them all, this would not work, so please continue helping all of us make sense of ICTs/Internet for sustainable growth.’

For more details: Introduction to Digital Policy and Diplomacy, New York

Browse DiploFoundation’s course catalogue here.