DiploNews – Issue 315 – 3 January 2017

Course application deadlines approaching

Humanitarian Diplomacy

Diplo is now accepting applications for the next session of the popular online course Humanitarian Diplomacy, offered in cooperation with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). This highly interactive 12-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 of writing and submiting some course assignments and the final research paper in Spanish or French.
 The next session starts 6 February 2017 and the application deadline is 9 January 2017. Please visit the course webpage to read more and apply.

Capacity Development

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 course, offered in cooperation with the Learning Network for Capacity Development (LenCD), 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 course is taught online by Jenny Pearson and Carol Kiangura. The next session starts 6 February 2017 and the application deadline is 9 January 2017. Please visit the course webpage to read more and apply.

February 2017 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 16 January 2017 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.

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

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 50-70% 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.

Travel fund to Geneva for diplomats from Pacific islands: CD Multi

CD Multi, Diplo’s capacity development project for multilateral diplomacy, calls for diplomats from the Pacific Islands to apply for travel/accommodation and a tailored programme in International Geneva, back-to-back with participation in a selected UN meeting. For basic information and eligibility criteria, click here.

Asia-Europe Meeting simulation for students from Swiss universities

If you are a student of a Swiss university, do not miss the deadline for the upcoming model ASEM simulation that will take place in Lausanne in March. More information at

GIP just-in-time course on Internet Governance

The Geneva Internet Platform will offer a course aimed to assist permanent missions in Geneva in actively following the increasingly relevant field of digital politics. The course, delivered by DiploFoundation from 16 January to 17 March 2017, will benefit diplomats who follow Internet governance (IG) and other Internet-related policy fields (e.g. telecommunications, human rights, cybersecurity, trade), with a special focus on International Geneva. The deadline to apply is 11 January 2017. More information available here.

Internet governance in January

What were the main Internet governance updates in the first month of the year, and how will they shape future developments? What can we expect in the months to come? Join us for our next monthly briefing, on Tuesday, 31st January, for a round-up of the major global Internet governance and digital policy developments of the month. We will also reflect on developments in 2016 and predictions for 2017. Join us in Geneva, from any of our local hubs, or online. Learn more and register.

What’s been happening in Diplo’s blogsphere

One of the key functions of diplomacy is to generate, manage, and use knowledge. Diplo’s December WebDebate addressed this topic and the mindset and skills that the next generation of diplomats need in order to be effective in these areas. If you missed the WebDebate, read Dr Katharina Hoene’s digest, Data diplomacy and knowledge management – key skills for the next generation of diplomats.

In Effectiveness of multistakeholderism: The Kenya ICT Review 2016, Grace Mutung’u reflects on collective decision-making, and how the ICT sector in Kenya is a good study of public participation.

What makes one set of words more convincing than another, and how can language best be put to work in the service of diplomacy, international relations, business, and all other aspects of contemporary life? Maja Bačlić reports from the recent two-day workshop on implicit communication, run by Diplo faculty member Dr Biljana Scott.

Watch Diplo’s blog roll for more posts; comments are welcome. Let us know if you’d like to be a guest blogger.