DiploNews – Issue 429 – 15 October 2021

Upcoming study opportunities 

◆ Applications open! Master/Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Diplomacy

Diplo is now accepting applications for the 2022 online MA/PGD in Contemporary Diplomacy and the MA/PGD with a specialisation in internet governance, run in cooperation with the University of Malta Department of International Relations. The programme starts on 24 January 2022.

During 16 to 20 months of online study, the programmes guide working diplomats, international relations professionals, and internet policymakers through the theoretical and practical building blocks of diplomacy, with a focus on contemporary issues and challenges.

Scholarships covering 20%–50% of the Postgraduate Diploma fee are available for applicants from small and developing states.

For further information and to apply, please visit the Master in Contemporary Diplomacy web page.

◆ Applications open! Winter 2022 online courses

Register now to reserve your place in our popular winter courses:

• Diplomatic Theory and Practice
• Public Diplomacy
• Artificial Intelligence
• Intro to Internet Governance
• Capacity Development 

👉🏼 Application deadlines for certificates issued by Diplo: 17 January 2022

For further information and to apply, click the course titles above or visit Diplo’s course catalogue.

◆ Need financial assistance? Scholarships are available.

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 2022. Browse our course catalogue and contact us at admissions@diplomacy.edu for further information.

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

Upcoming events

◆ [Briefing #79] Internet governance in October 2021 (26 Oct.)

Halfway through October, we have already seen some interesting digital policy updates: Facebook’s whistleblower revelations; Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram’s major outage; the OECD tax deal (expected to affect Big Tech); data breaches; and more! We will keep on monitoring and provide a round-up on Tuesday, 26th October, at 12:00 UTC (14:00 CEST). Register now!

◆ Geneva Legal and Governance Tour (28 Oct.)

Geneva is one of the leading commercial arbitration centres. In the ‘Legal and Governance Tour’ we will talk about Geneva’s role and ambitions in this aspect. More information is coming soon! In the meantime, you can register to join us on Thursday, 28th October, at 09:00 UTC (11:00 CEST). Register now!

◆  Radio and TV broadcasting: Diplomacy going live [A historical journey #9] (29 Oct.)

Orson Welles’ radio drama The War of the Worlds created panic in the United States. Since the start of its commercial use, television became a main news and entertainment medium. Like other technologies before them, radio and TV broadcasting had a noticeable impact on society. The reach of these technologies gave them immense power in shaping public opinion. Join Dr Jovan Kurbalija in his analysis of these technologies on society and diplomacy on Friday, 29th October, at 12:00 UTC (14:00 CEST). Register now!

◆ Harnessing AI’s power for health (3 Nov.)

New technologies have had a revolutionary impact on healthcare since the early 1990s. Nowadays, with the use of robotics in healthcare, and the utilisation of machine-learning techniques and software, AI is transforming the healthcare sector and the future of public health. Join us on Wednesday, 3rd November, 14:00–15:00 CEST as we discuss how these technologies can be deployed widely, rapidly, and safely. Register now!

Main takeaways from our recent events

◆ Training cyber diplomats: Tools, gaps, and opportunities (WebDebate #50)

What is cyber diplomacy? Why is it important? And what is the reality in supply and demand of capacity-development opportunities and tools for cyber diplomacy? The summary and recording of this event are now available! Learn more!

◆ Digitalisation powering environmental protection (From Geneva: Reflections on Digital Future)

How can new digital technologies make a difference in humanity’s mission to protect the environment? The recording of the discussion is now available. Watch it here!

◆ Telephone diplomacy: Dialling the ‘red line’ (A historical journey #8)

We have brought together even more resources about the history of diplomacy and technology, specifically around the invention of the telephone and radio communication. Follow-up: Event summary, podcast version of the event, further reading, and videos about the telephone and radio communication. Learn more!

Blogs and publications

◆ Digital Watch newsletter – Issue 63 – October 2021

During this year’s annual debate of the UN General Assembly, digital issues were mentioned much less (albeit still mentioned). Over 130 countries have agreed to the OECD’s global rules for taxing the digital economy. The new Trade and Technology Council has turned a page in the US–EU partnership, after years of rising tensions. Facebook’s market influence is too big to handle, but when the platform went dark, many realised it was too big to fail. Read more in the October issue of the Digital Watch Newsletter!

◆ ConfTech Monthly Digest

Learn more about the changes in the world of online meetings: Zoom adds more real-time transcriptions; Mentimeter app for Zoom; updates from Microsoft and Google Meet; and more information on Zoom dysmorphia (and what you can do about it). Read it here!

◆ X-Ray of the 76th UN General Assembly (Blog)

Diplo’s analysis indicates that at this year’s UN General Assembly: diplomatic language became more emotional and vivid; the pandemic, climate change, and security were dominant topics; digital transformation, cybersecurity, and fake news were on top of the digital agenda; and more. It also features an AI-powered analysis of national statements! Read the analysis and check out what your country’s most mentioned issues were!

◆ The rights of future generations: What are our responsibilities? (Blog)

Do future generations have rights? What instruments can help us ensure these rights? How should the discussion look in practice? Can artificial intelligence help us pave a way forward? Read the blog post by Dr Jovan Kurbalija.

◆ How did Facebook go down? An analysis (Blog)

On 4 October, Facebook and its sister services Whatsapp, Instagram, and Facebook Messenger went down for almost six hours and reminded us how dependent we are on digital infrastructure. In his blog post, Vladimir Radunović analyses the possible scenarios that could have caused this, and discusses further. Read the blog post.

◆ Apple’s new measures to protect children online on hold (Blog)

There’s a price to pay to ensure that children are protected. As things stand, the choice will come at a high price for overall user privacy, and the revised measures will likely still come at some cost. So the question is: Is it a price worth paying? Read the blog post by Dr Stephanie Borg Psaila.

◆ Taxation – Digital Watch issue page

With the internet moving into the mainstream of modern society, the question of taxation has come into sharper focus. Read more about the principles of taxation and the reality of tax in the digital age. Visit the dedicated page.

Diplo team at external events

◆ How Artificial Intelligence is Changing Global Conflict

Diplo’s Dr Katharina Höne will participate in the event by Young Professionals in Foreign Policy. The discussion will revolve around artificial intelligence and recent initiatives and threats for peacebuilding and conflict resolution. Visit the event page.