DiploNews – Issue 435 – 17 January 2022

Upcoming study opportunities

❗ NEW: Executive online training for diplomats and business leaders

1–11 February 2022

Diplo’s new ‘Navigating the Era of Uncertainty: Skills and tools for addressing future AI and digital challenges’ training is created to help diplomats and business leaders address the effects of current and future tech advancements.

The 10-day intensive and interactive training will equip you with the skills and tools for approaching these future challenges. 

🥳 We are happy to celebrate Diplo’s 20th anniversary with an increased alumni discount of 20% on all courses until the end of 2022!

To learn more and enrol, head to https://www.diplomacy.edu/courses/executive-training

◆ Applications ending soon! Diplo’s Winter 2022 online courses

Register to reserve your place in our popular winter courses:

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

👉🏼 Application deadlines for certificates issued by Diplo: 10 February 2022

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

◆ Need financial assistance? Scholarships available!

Thanks to the 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.

Upcoming events

◆ IG Briefing: Predictions for digital developments in 2022 (25 Jan.)

Our first monthly 2022 Internet Governance Briefing will focus on predictions for the new year. What can we expect in 2022? Which trends should you keep an eye on? Join us on Tuesday, 25th January, at 13:00 UTC (14:00 CET). Register now!

◆ 7th Geneva Engage Awards: What is Geneva’s digital footprint? (1 Feb.)

The annual Geneva Engage Awards examine Geneva’s global footprint and online presence by: 

• Recognising International Geneva actors in their social media outreach and engagement
• Analysing Geneva’s web relevance through website traffic data and SEO scores
• Looking at Geneva’s role in leading online meetings and the future of conferencing

Join us on Tuesday, 1st February, at 13:00 CET (12:00 UTC). Register now!

Blogs and publications

◆ Quo vadis, United Nations?: Is the UN system too complex for its own good and how relevant is it today?

In his blog post, quantum physicist and Diplo alumnus André Xuereb looks at the increasing complexity of the UN system and reflects on UN’s shortcomings and offers potential paths of improvement. Read the blog post!

◆ Launch: Anticipatory Science and Diplomacy for a renewed multilateralism

The world is experiencing breakthrough science and technological advances. To stay prepared, our scientific, diplomatic, and business leaders need to understand and jointly promote anticipatory science and diplomacy as an effective tool for a renewed multilateralism. In this respect, Diplo is proud to be part of the Geneva Coalition on Anticipatory Science and Diplomacy which is launching an Immersion Program and an Open Forum in International Geneva for current and future leaders in science and diplomacy. Read more!

◆ Summit meetings: Their importance in diplomacy

Summits between state leaders that have no tangible outcomes are frequently considered a failure and a loss of resources and time. In his blog post, Cypriot diplomat and Diplo alumnus Giorgos Samouel provides a brief account of the arguments for and against the importance of summit meetings even when they have no tangible outcomes. Read the blog post.

◆ Strategies of modern-day small states

To obtain relevance and a strong voice in the international community, small states must work harder. Maltese diplomat and Diplo alumnus Alfred Tabone explains that previous experiences have clearly shown that this is obtainable if innovative strategies are adopted and sustained. Read the blog post.

◆ In memory of Ian Peter, internet pioneer and visionary thinker

On 26 December 2021, Ian Peter passed away. For us at Diplo, Ian was not just an internet pioneer, but a great friend, colleague, lecturer, and inspiring thinker. Read our article dedicated to Ian.

Don’t miss …

◆ Successful training: A stronger voice for Namibian diplomats

The 10-day online training for Namibian diplomats, ‘Digital Diplomacy in 2022: Capacity Development for Namibian Diplomacy’, came to a successful end. Over 80 Namibian ambassadors and officials took part in the training, run by DiploFoundation, in partnership with the foreign ministries of Namibia and Malta. ‘Namibia has recognised that digitalisation enhances and facilitates the work of diplomats in various sectors, such as health, education, trade and security, in order to develop skills needed to navigate contemporary challenges,’ the Namibian ministry said. Read more.

◆ Article: ‘The Era of Digital Foreign Policy: Comprehensive Approaches to Digitalisation’

Diplomats and foreign ministries are faced with tremendous changes brought about by digitalisation. In their article, Dr Jovan Kurbalija and Dr Katharina E. Höne introduce the idea of ‘digital foreign policy’ as a comprehensive way of responding to the challenges of digitalisation and the 4th Industrial Revolution. Read the article.