DiploNews – Issue 381 – 16 October 2019

Upcoming study opportunities

2020 Master/Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Diplomacy

Diplo is now accepting applications for the 2020 Master/Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Diplomacy, and the Master/Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Diplomacy with a specialisation in Internet Governance. These unique postgraduate programmes, offered in co-operation 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.

Scholarships covering 20%–50% of the Postgraduate Diploma fee are available for applicants from small and developing states. The programme starts on 3 February 2020. The application deadline has been extended to 15 November 2019.

February 2020 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 December 2019 for University of Malta accredited courses and by 13 January 2020 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 2020. 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.


Upcoming events

[Briefing] Internet governance in October 2019

What were the main Internet governance updates in October? How will recent updates influence the developments in upcoming months? Join us for our next monthly briefing on Tuesday, 29th October, at 12:00 UTC (13:00 CET), for a round-up of the major global IG and digital policy developments.

Registrations are open.

November WebDebate

In our November WebDebate, we will zoom in on the Middle East region and shed further light on water and energy as key resources.

In the WebDebate we will be joined by Lutine De Boer, who is an expert on water management in the region, and Setaita Tupua, who will focus on the politics of oil and gas.

Join us online on Tuesday, 5th November at 12:00 UTC (13:00 CET). Register to attend this event.

Recent events

WTO Public Forum 2019

At its annual outreach event, the World Trade Organization (WTO) held 140 sessions and workshops, focusing on different aspects of trade and the WTO.

The GIP Digital Watch observatory and DiploFoundation provided just-in-time reporting from the WTO Public Forum sessions related to e-commerce and other digital trade issues.

During the forum, DiploFoundation together with the International Trade Centre (ITC) organised the session ‘Trade norms on access to the source code: What is the impact on trade in services and development?’ Read the report from this session, and watch the session recording.

September Digital Watch Newsletter

The September issue of the Digital Watch newsletter contains:

• Our cover story: The UN General Assembly saw world leaders address tech-related topics, but in-depth reflections were largely absent
• In focus: Big tech companies under investigation by antitrust authorities over market dominance
• An overview of trends in September: new rules are issued on the status of gig workers; Libra is facing opposition; and, digital identity programmes are taking off

• A review of the main digital policy developments: global IG architecture; security; e-commerce and the Internet economy; and, digital rights were the most prominent issues

[WebDebate] Visual Digital Diplomacy

In our October WebDebate, the visual quality of communication was discussed, specifically, as applied to the field of diplomacy.

The guest speakers for this WebDebate were Amb. Stefano Baldi, Italy’s representative in Bulgaria, and Dr Massimiliano Fusari, visual communications trainer and consultant. The debate was moderated by Diplo’s senior researcher and lecturer Dr Katharina Höne.

Watch the debate, and read the summary.

What’s been happening in Diplo’s blogosphere

UNGA 74

As in previous years, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York took place amid rising conflicts around the world, the looming climate crisis, and stronger calls for action to attain the 2030 Agenda goals.

Following a blog post summarising the main topics covered, particularly statements that made a reference to digital-related issues, the GIP Digital Watch observatory published a trend page focusing specifically on digital-policy issues on the UNGA 74 agenda.

Internet governance in September 2019

Mixed rules for gig workers, Libra facing opposition, and new digital ID programmes were amongst the main digital policy trends in September 2019. Check out the recording and summary of the September Internet governance briefing.