DiploNews – Issue 469 – 15 June 2023
Diplo Academy upcoming courses and programmes
🎓 2024 MA in Contemporary Diplomacy (with internet governance specialisation)
Diplo is accepting applications for the 2024 online Master/Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Diplomacy with a specialisation in internet governance, run in cooperation with the University of Malta Department of International Relations. The programme starts on 29 January 2024.
During 16 to 20 months of online study, the programme guides 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.
❗ Financial assistance available:
- Diplo alumni are entitled to a 20% reduction in tuition fees.
- Applicants from developing countries can be awarded a limited number of partial scholarships.
- Maltese applicants can benefit from up to 70% off the fee in tax credits as part of the Get Qualified scheme.
For further information and to apply, please visit the MA/PGD in Contemporary Diplomacy web page.
🌞 Applications open! Diplo’s 2023 summer online courses
Reserve your place in our popular summer courses!
- Bilateral Diplomacy
- Diplomatic Law: Privileges and Immunities
- Internet Technology and Policy: Challenges and Solutions
👉🏼 Application deadlines for certificates issued by Diplo: 19 June 2023
For further information and to apply, click the course titles above or visit Diplo’s course catalogue.
◆ Need financial assistance? Scholarships and alumni discounts are 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 2023 online courses. Browse our course catalogue and contact us at admissions@diplomacy.edu for further information.
Upcoming events
◆ Women in Diplomacy – Equal representation: Are we there yet? (26 June)
The second-ever Women in Diplomacy Day is coming up. During our event, we’ll be asking some important questions, while exchanging experiences and ideas:
- What are the key challenges faced by women in diplomatic careers, and how can these be overcome?
- What initiatives or policies can be implemented to promote equal opportunities for women in diplomatic appointments and leadership positions?
- What mentorship and networking opportunities exist for women in diplomacy, and how can they be expanded or improved?
Join the discussion on Monday, 26 June, at 12:00 UTC (14:00 CEST). Register now!
◆ Empowering African Digital Diplomacy (5 July)
Digital technologies multiply and amplify the number of voices in international policymaking and diplomacy. These technologies also enable a faster and more cost-effective delivery of traditional diplomatic services. It is thus imperative that stakeholders discuss the issues arising from the interaction of technology and diplomacy.
Join us on Wednesday, 5 July, 13:00–14:30 UTC (15:00–16:30 CEST) as we explore the impact of digital technologies on the African diplomatic space and discuss digital priorities, ways to strengthen the participation of African stakeholders, long-term approaches, and more. Register now!
Main takeaways from our recent events
◆ WebDebate #60: Why and How Should Countries Engage in Tech Diplomacy?
During our latest WebDebate, we shared key findings from Diplo’s recent research on the practice of tech diplomacy in the San Francisco Bay Area, and discussed the role of tech diplomacy in addressing the digital divide and in promoting digital inclusivity. The discussion highlighted the difficulties in navigating the fast-paced technological ecosystem and explored the growing importance of tech diplomats and global digital ambassadors in shaping international relations. Read the report and watch the recording!
Blogs and publications
◆ The case for bottom-up AI
Published on Al Jazeera, Dr Jovan Kurbalija’s (Executive Director, Diplo) breakthrough approach for the AI era states that bottom-up AI is technically feasible and ethically desirable. It allows us to retain control over knowledge and thinking patterns, and it can emerge through an open-source approach with a focus on high-quality data. Read the article!
◆ Report: The Metaverse, Extended Reality and Children
Experts from UNICEF Innocenti and Diplo have come together to publish a report which examines the potential opportunities and risks associated with emerging technologies, particularly the metaverse and extended reality (XR), and their impact on children’s rights and well-being.
Read the report Rapid Analysis: Metaverse, XR, and Children and Diplo’s press release.
◆ Digital Watch Newsletter, Issue 80 (June 2023)
Read our latest monthly digital policy analysis!
Highlights:
- AI is the name of the game, but who’s holding the dice?
- UN Secretary-General’s policy brief for the Global Digital Compact
- The main global digital policy events in June
- A retrospective look at digital policy developments in May
Read the latest Digital Watch Newsletter!
◆ ConfTech Digest #25
What have Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and Zoom have been up to lately? The latest ConfTech Digest outlines the latest updates, including Speaker Coach, customisable avatars and reactions, enhanced picture-in-picture, and an AI smart companion. Read ConfTech Digest #25!
◆ Nine reasons to replace the Turing test with a ‘flea market test’ for AI
Can AI replace an experienced flea market trader? Following a video that revealed that AI provided similar tips and tricks as our trader but with one important catch, Jovan Kurbalija delved deeper into how the ‘flea market test’ can help us develop answers for future AI challenges. Read the blog post, and watch the video below!
◆ Can AI understand our language?
Transcription software is now crucial for many businesses, journalists, researchers, and other professionals. These transcription systems are mostly trained on datasets of native speakers and may struggle to accurately transcribe speech with accents and dialects. Jovana Martić offers a detailed analysis of the best performers. Read the blog post!
◆ View international organisations through their digital display window: A study on IO content and website management
In the digital age where everyone searches online for information, international organisations (IOs) must learn to communicate better with their websites. Within this context, Yung-Hsuan Wu analysed both good and bad practices. Read the article!
◆ From job loss to Wall Street: Exploring the impact of AI
Diplo’s AI is at it again with another blog post where it discusses the latest news on AI, including a test with an AI-controlled drone, how AI can shape our reality, disruptions in the job market, AI regulation, Nvidia’s rise in value, and falling in love with a virtual partner. Read Diplo AI’s diary entry!
◆ How does a society stop the use of terror?
How does a society stop using terror? Diplo Senior Fellow Aldo Matteucci provides examples and sources, and explains the distinction between secular and theocratic totalitarianism. Read the blog post!
◆ Digital Watch Weekly, Issue 115
In the latest DW Weekly Newsletter: The USA and the UK signed the Atlantic Declaration to strengthen their economic, technological, commercial and trade relations. The EU’s AI Act might be in jeopardy. Meta is in trouble with the EU over content moderation, namely failure to remove child sexual abuse material from Instagram, and Google has published its Secure AI Framework. Read the latest DW Weekly!
Latest videos
◆ DiplomacyLight podcast #009: OSCE with Amb. Thomas Greminger
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is a unique organisation: it is not based on a treaty, and hence has no international legal status. Still, it’s the world’s largest security organisation, with UN Chapter VIII and observer status, and a mandate that includes issues such as arms control, human rights, freedom of press, and free and fair elections.
Ljupčo Gjorgjinski discusses the topic with Amb. Thomas Greminger. Watch the podcast below!
◆ DWshorts #11: Cryptocurrency exchanges at US court
The latest DWshorts episode: US regulators take on major cryptocurrency exchanges in court, and the SEC leads the charge for clearer regulations in the digital assets industry. Meanwhile, Singapore pioneers the first quantum-safe network.
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