DiploNews – Issue 276 – 15 May 2015

Upcoming study opportunities

Applications open for 2016 Master/Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Diplomacy

Diplo is now 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 read more and to apply. Scholarships covering 20–50% of Postgraduate Diploma fee are available for applicants from small and developing states. The programme starts on 1 February 2016. The application deadline is 1 October 2015 for international applicants and 15 November 2015 for Maltese applicants.

Summer online courses

Diplo’s summer online courses start on 20 July 2015:

• 21st Century Diplomacy
• Diplomatic Law: Privileges and Immunities
• Infrastructure and Critical Internet Resources
• Multilateral Diplomacy

Apply by 18 May 2015 for University of Malta accredited courses and by 15 June 2015 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 scholarhships are available for applicants from developing countries to attend upcoming Diplo online courses. These scholarships cover 50-70% of course fees and can be applied to any online course in 2015. Please browse our course catalogue and contact us at admissions@diplomacy.edu for further information.

Children and mobile technology

Diplo is pleased to offer a new online capacity development course on Children and Mobile Technology in cooperation with the GSMA. This interactive 7-week online course looks at children’s use of ICTs, and the inherent risks and opportunities. The course is for staff and management of national telecommunications regulatory authorities, with priority given to applicants from developing countries. Participation in this course is fully funded by the GSMA (there is no tuition fee for selected applicants). The first course starts on 29 June 2015. To read more and apply online by 8 June please visit the course webpage.

Internet governance for MENA region

From data privacy and cybersecurity to content regulation and net neutrality, policymakers and advocates face complex challenges related to the Internet. What background knowledge is necessary to understand these complex topics? How can civic actors engage on these issues and effectively advocate for policies that benefit Internet users? What are the unique challenges and opportunities for civic actors in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)? Diplo and Hivos, through the IGMENA programme, are working together to offer the third annual online course on Internet Govenance for the MENA region, starting on 3 September 2015. The course creates a unique opportunity to gain knowledge, skills, and tools to address these issues; communicate with actors from government and the technical community; and to influence policy outcomes. Tuition fees are fully covered through fellowships from Hivos. Read more and apply by 27 July.

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

Malta conference: The Internet as a global public resource

The conference on the Internet as a global public resource, which took place on 29-30 April in Valletta, Malta, has initiated a research and policy project aimed at discussing the future developments on the topic. The conference convened various actors to explore the technical, organisational, commercial, and societal aspects of the Internet that could be considered global public resources, and discussed the experience of global public resources in other policy areas. Conference reports for each panel, press releases, official statements, and other updates are available on the conference webpage.
 

The Geneva Internet Platform at the WSIS Forum in Geneva

Join DiploFoundation at the WSIS Forum in Geneva, on 25 May 2015 at 9:00 am. Diplo will be organising a workshop to present the activities of the Geneva Internet Platform (GIP), an initiative of the Swiss authorities operated by Diplo.  The GIP serves permanent missions based in Geneva with tailored briefings on developments in Geneva IG politics. Special focus is on missions from small and developing countries, and even for countries, which – because of limited resources – have no permanent representations in the city. The support is tailored for the needs of these players, including individual consultations, including online meetings to maximise resource use. Read more.
 

Internet governance in May

Many Internet governance and digital policy developments are taking place at a fast pace. Join us for our next webinar briefing, on Tuesday, 26th May, to discuss this month’s developments and what to expect next month. The webinar briefing takes place online, but you can also join in situ at 7 bis Avenue de la Paix, Geneva (WMO building, 2nd floor). Read the digest from April’s webinar briefing.
 

Discussing Internet governance: Freedom Online Conference, CSTD 18th Session, and more updates

The 5th Annual Conference of the Freedom Online Coalition (FOC) took place in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on 4-5 May. Over 250 participants – including Internet intermediaries and the corporate sector, and digital activists and human rights organisations – participated in the conference which discussed, among other themes, human rights online, cybersecurity, the application of the rule of law online, and privacy. DiploTeam covered the conference; read the conference report.

The 18th session of the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development (4-8 May 2015), organised around two priority themes (strategic foresight for the post-2015 development agenda and digital development), negotiated a resolution on the WSIS outcomes which will be used as input for the related UN General Assembly process (June-December 2015). Another resolution on the role of science, technology, and innovation (STI) for development – will be put forward as the CSTD contribution for the ECOSOC High-Level Segment (July 2015) discussion dedicated to ‘Managing the transition from MDGs to the SDGs – what will it take?’ Read DiploTeam’s day-by-day updates.

On Diplo’s IG community space, Mamadou Lo updates us with links to current events and updates in Internet governance and digital policy: view the web review for the week ending 30 April, and the review for the week ending 8 May.

Follow more IG-related news and discussions on Diplo’s Internet governance channel and on Diplo’s IG community blog roll, and event reports on the Geneva Internet Platform.
 

What’s been happening in Diplo’s blogosphere

Guest blogger Kristine Borritz Milfeldt, a graduate student in rhetoric from the University of Copenhagen, discusses President Mugabe’s rhetoric as African Union chairperson, while Petru Dumitriu continues his series on understanding UN reform in his post,  Understanding United Nations reform. Ten theoretical clues: (8) Delivering global public goods. 

Remember, you too can have your say by commenting on these or any of our blog posts. And, if you’d like to be a guest blogger, let us know.