Diplo Academy upcoming courses and programmes
🌼 Applications open! Diplo’s 2025 spring online courses
Register now to reserve your place in our specialised spring courses!
👉🏼 Application deadlines for certificates issued by Diplo: 16 June 2025
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 2024 online courses. Browse our course catalogue and contact us at admissions@diplomacy.edu for further information.
Upcoming events
◆ The cost and benefits of using digital technology for elections in Africa (14 May)
As African nations continue to explore and implement digital technologies in their electoral processes, it is crucial to assess both the costs and benefits to ensure that such innovations contribute positively to the democratic process. This webinar aims to bring together experts, policymakers, and stakeholders to discuss the impact of digital technology on elections in Africa, weighing its advantages against the challenges it presents. Register to attend!
Main takeaways from our recent events
◆ Fireside chat with Dr Matthew Meselson: Convincing policymakers with scientific arguments
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) coming into force – a landmark achievement in global disarmament. At the heart of this historic milestone is Dr Matthew Meselson, a pioneering scientist whose work not only shaped molecular biology, but also transformed arms control. Watch the fireside chat with Dr Matthew Meselson!
◆ AI and international peace and security: Key issues and relevance for Geneva
Diplo was honoured to host a thought-provoking discussion on AI and international peace and security. This diplomatic dialogue brought together experts from Geneva-based missions and UN entities to examine questions such as:
- How can AI enhance or undermine global security?
- What frameworks are needed to ensure responsible use of AI in the military domain?
- How to enhance international cooperation on the responsible use of AI in the military domain, at both intergovernmental and multistakeholder levels? And what role can Geneva play?
The dialogue was co-sponsored by the Permanent Missions of Kenya, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Pakistan, the Republic of Korea, and Switzerland to the United Nations in Geneva, and by the Permanent Representation of France to the Conference on Disarmament. Read more on the diplomatic dialogue!
Blogs and publications
◆ Yellow rain: Nature’s dust, science’s truth, diplomacy’s tool
Yellow rain, a phenomenon witnessed in Europe each March, occurs when Saharan dust is transported by winds and falls with rain, giving the landscape a yellow hue. Originating from the Sahara, this dust travels vast distances and interacts with European weather systems. Historically, yellow rain sparked geopolitical tensions during the Cold War, when it was misidentified as a bioweapon; scientific investigations later revealed it was likely bee faeces. Read the blog post!
◆ Ethics and AI | Part 6
The EU AI Act is the world’s first comprehensive legal framework regulating AI, balancing innovation with the protection of fundamental rights. By adopting a risk-based approach and emphasising transparency, accountability, and human oversight, the Act aims to promote trustworthy AI while addressing ethical concerns – though its effectiveness in curbing AI’s broader societal challenges remains to be seen. Read the blog post!
◆ Part 6: Governing the metaverse through standards
No system works without standards – not cities, not cyberspace. As the metaverse grows, it needs rules that go beyond code.
Read Part 6 of the new metaverse blog series: UN 2.0 and the Metaverse: Are We Seeing What Is Possible? Read the blog post!
◆ Is AI the key to nuclear renaissance?
As AI’s energy demands surge, nuclear power is emerging as a key solution to sustain its growth while minimising carbon emissions. Tech giants such as Microsoft, Google, and Amazon are investing heavily in nuclear energy to power AI-driven data centres, signalling a potential nuclear renaissance in the age of artificial intelligence. Read the blog post!
◆ Do we have a moral obligation to save wild bees?
Only 2% of wild bees do 80% of the pollination. Should we still save the other 700 species? The debate is not just ecological – it’s moral vs economic. Read the blog post!
◆ X’s Türkiye tangle, between freedom of speech, control, and digital defiance
Freedom of speech has taken centre stage this week, with Türkiye’s streets erupting in mass protests and Elon Musk’s platform X again under fire. Read the DW analysis!
◆ America’s Bitcoin gamble: A power play for financial dominance
The USA is leading a Bitcoin charge – will the world follow, or is this just another high-stakes power move? Read the DW analysis!
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