DiploNews – Issue 339 – 16 January 2018

Upcoming study and training opportunities

Geneva-based blended learning course on Digital Commerce – application deadline extended to 18 January

This Digital Commerce course aims to assist permanent missions and international organisations in Geneva in increasing their knowledge and capacity to engage in multilateral digital-commerce-related negotiations and discussions. It provides an interdisciplinary coverage of e-commerce, from both digital and trade perspectives. While improving their knowledge of e-commerce, participants will also gain the practical skills and information required to discuss specific digital policy aspects, such as cross-border data flows, data localisation, cybersecurity, consumer protection, and the implication of emerging technologies to digital trade, such as the Internet of Things and 3D printing. It is aimed particularly at participants from developing and least developed countries (LDCs) based in Geneva. The course is delivered by DiploFoundation, CUTS International Geneva, the International Trade Centre (ITC), and the Geneva Internet Platform (GIP). It is supported by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and funded by the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO). The course starts on 29 January 2018 and the extended application deadline is 18 January 2018. Please visit the course page to learn more and apply.
 

Humanitarian Diplomacy Diploma course – application deadline extended to 29 January

Apply now 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 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 19 February 2018 and the extended application deadline is 29 January 2018. Please visit the course webpage to read more and apply.
 

Capacity Development – application deadline extended to 5 February

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 19 Feburary 2018 and the application deadline is 15 January 2018. Please visit the course webpage to read more and apply.
 

February 2018 online diplomacy courses – application deadline extended to 5 February

Start the new year with one of our most popular online courses:

• Diplomatic Theory and Practice
• Public Diplomacy
• Introduction to Internet Governance

Apply by 5 February 2018 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 2018. 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.


Report launch: Data Diplomacy: Updating Diplomacy to the Big Data Era

On 8 February, 10:00-13:00 CET, DiploFoundation will launch the new report Data Diplomacy: Updating Diplomacy to the Big Data Era, commissioned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland. The report assesses the potential of big data in different areas of diplomacy, discusses capacity development needs, and highlights some of the key challenges that should be considered when engaging with big data to support the work of diplomats. The event will take place in the WMO Building, 7bis Avenue de la Paix, Geneva. Read more and register. For those not present in Geneva, a soft launch will be organised during the February WebDebate on 6 February at 12:00 UTC.

Internet governance in January

Our monthly Internet governance briefings resume this month. What were the main Internet governance updates in January, and how will they shape future developments? What can we expect in February? Join us for our next briefing, on Tuesday, 30th January, for a round-up of the major digital policy developments. Registrations are now open.

The IGF 2017 Report is out

How do we prepare for a future of automation, artificial intelligence, and other data-driven technologies? Is there a need for a cyber treaty to tackle the pressing cybersecurity issues? How do we deal with fake news and violent extremism effectively? These are some of the themes discussed during the 12th Internet Governance Forum (IGF), which took place Geneva on 18-21 December 2017. The IGF 2017 Report summarises the solutions and practical recommendations emerging from the discussions, together with a commentary, and findings from data analysis of the transcripts. Download your copy, and access more resources related to the 12th IGF. 

A tipping point for the Internet: 10 predictions for 2018

Diplo director Jovan Kurbalija offers his predictions for key Internet governance developments in A tipping point for the Internet: 10 predictions for 2018. He argues that 2018 will be crucial for making policy decisions with longer-term impact. ‘If Internet governance is consumed by inertia or controlled by the invisible hand of the market, the Internet is likely to fragment into numerous national and commercial Internet(s).’ He looks at ten key areas, among them data and digital politics, cybersecurity, trade, artificial intelligence, and net neutrality.

What’s been happening in Diplo’s blogsphere

In Connecting Europe to Latin America: a revolution in Internet governance? our guest bloggers from Internet Sans Frontières, Félix Blanc and Florence Poznanski, analyse the impact of  ELLALINK, a new submarine cable linking Latin America to Europe. They argue that ‘in addition to strengthening digital inclusion on the continent and reducing access costs, ELLALINK may offer an innovative model of governance that will protect Internet global infrastructures as common goods’.