Tag: Online course

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Alumni Diplo alumni

Diplomatic Law: Privileges and Immunities online course

By: DiploFoundation

Diplomatic privileges and immunities usually receive attention only when exceptions or abuses are reported in the news.

Starting with the evolution of diplomatic privileges and immunities and ending with the question of whether the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations should be revisited in the Internet era, this course introduces participants to diplomatic law in general and diplomatic privileges and immunities in particular. Combining a theoretical introduction with practical exercises, participants will become familiar with current developments in the field of diplomatic privileges and immunities.

Programme details

What will you learn?
  • Explain the difference between the concepts of immunities, privileges and facilities, providing examples of each.
  • Describe the legal basis of diplomatic privileges and immunities, including as it relates to individuals, states and representatives, diplomatic missions, and consular missions.
  • Explain the theoretical justifications for privileges and immunities and how regulation has evolved.
  • Describe the privileges and immunities of states and their representatives (including heads of states and governments, other ministers and officials, diplomatic missions and diplomatic agents).
  • Compare and contrast the privileges and immunities of diplomatic missions and agents with those of consular missions and agents.
  • Analyse cases of use and abuse of diplomatic privileges and immunities in the modern era, and taking these into account, argue in favour of, or against, revisions to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
How will you learn? In this course you will interact intensively in discussions with classmates and lecturers from around the world. You will receive guidance and personalised feedback on your classwork from the course team. How long will you learn? The course lasts for 10 weeks:
  • 1 week of course introduction and orientation to online learning
  • 8 weeks of addressing the course topics one by one (see below for more details)
  • 1 week for the final assignment and completing pending tasks
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Alumni Diplo alumni

Humanitarian Diplomacy online course

By: DiploFoundation

Humanitarian diplomacy is persuading decision makers and opinion leaders to act, at all times, in the interests of vulnerable people, and with full respect for fundamental humanitarian principles.

 

The rapid expansion of the number of humanitarian actors in recent years, working for or with governments at all levels and often in complex situations, makes humanitarian diplomacy increasingly important.

Humanitarian diplomacy aims to mobilise public and governmental support and resources for humanitarian operations and programmes, and to facilitate effective partnerships for responding to the needs of vulnerable people. Humanitarian diplomacy includes advocacy, negotiation, communication, formal agreements, and other measures. It is a field with many players, including governments, international organisations, NGOs, the private sector, and individuals.

The online diploma course in humanitarian diplomacy is offered by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in partnership with DiploFoundation. Course faculty draws on leading experts from around the world, as resource people and guest lecturers. The diversity of the teaching team takes account of the importance of the course reaching people from everywhere in the world, from all sorts of backgrounds and with all sorts of values. More details on the course team can be found in the Methodology section below.

This course is currently offered in English, however participants who are more comfortable with French or Spanish will have the option to write and submit some course assignments and the final research paper in either of those languages.

Programme details

What are the course objectives? The online course will extend the knowledge base and develop the practical skills of current and future practitioners in humanitarian diplomacy and policy. To achieve its objectives, the course will:
  • Familiarise participants with basic definitions, concepts, actors, and institutions in the field of humanitarian diplomacy.
  • Introduce participants to international humanitarian law, the fundamental humanitarian principles, and National Societies’ role as an auxiliary to government.
  • Hone the advocacy and negotiation skills of participants.
  • Facilitate an international exchange of experiences and knowledge in a safe and supportive online class environment.
  • Develop the research skills of participants, and increase their understanding of national and regional humanitarian diplomacy activities.
What will you learn?
  • Explain clearly the concept of humanitarian diplomacy and provide examples of humanitarian diplomacy in action.
  • List and categorise the main actors and stakeholders in the field of humanitarian diplomacy and describe their roles in particular situations.
  • Describe the interplay between relevant international law, including international humanitarian law, and humanitarian diplomacy.
  • Explain how to obtain and use an evidence base for humanitarian diplomacy activities
  • Describe the role, techniques, and tools of persuasion and advocacy in humanitarian diplomacy.
  • Organise a humanitarian diplomacy alliance.
  • Prepare an advocacy strategy, taking into consideration the techniques of persuasion and the application of fundamental humanitarian principles.
  • Prepare for effective humanitarian diplomacy negotiations, and describe how different humanitarian diplomacy contexts influence negotiation outcomes.
  • Analyse case studies of humanitarian diplomacy, identifying goals, actors, methods, challenges, and implementation.
How will you learn? In this course you will interact intensively in discussions with classmates and lecturers from around the world. You will receive guidance, and personalised feedback on your classwork, from the course team. How long will you learn? The course lasts for 13 weeks:
  • 1 week of course introduction and orientation to online learning
  • 8 weeks of addressing the course topics one by one (see below for more details)
  • 4 weeks for the research phase
You can read more about this in the course brochure.
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Alumni

Public Diplomacy online course

By: DiploFoundation

Public diplomacy is a hot topic today, yet only a decade ago, it was a very specialised term.

There is a new transparency in the interactions between governments and countries in the international system, influenced by factors such as:

  • democratisation of diplomacy
  • globalisation
  • resurgence of methods of bilateral, regional, and multilateral diplomacy
  • spotlight on external and internal issues

With more public interest in foreign affairs than ever before, ordinary people are demanding open diplomacy, and governments are obliged to respond with public information about the spending of funds they receive and the results that they achieve.

This course covers the goals and methods of public diplomacy, outlining what it can and cannot do, with case studies.

Programme details

What will you learn?
  • What public diplomacy is in practice, its key features, tasks and methods
  • How to analyse different approaches to public diplomacy and identify realistic and workable tools and methods for different situations
  • How to plan strategies for country image-building activities based on best practices
  • How to assess and evaluate the impact of public diplomacy programmes
How will you learn? In this course you will interact intensively in discussions with classmates and lecturers from around the world. You will receive guidance and personalised feedback on your classwork from the course team. How long will you learn? The course lasts for 10 weeks:
  • 1 week of course introduction and orientation to online learning
  • 8 weeks of addressing the course topics one by one (see below for more details)
  • 1 week for the final assignment and completing pending tasks
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Alumni Diplo alumni

Diplomatic Theory and Practice online course

By: DiploFoundation

Why do we need diplomats?

Diplomats are members of a profession developed over many centuries. But why do we still need them in a world transformed by electronic communications? This course examines the nature of diplomacy; when it is appropriate; the advantages and disadvantages of different diplomatic methods; and the lexicon of diplomacy.

The materials for this course were developed by Prof. GR Berridge, based on his book Diplomacy: Theory and Practice, now in its 5th edition. Prof. Berridge is an Emeritus Professor of International Politics at the University of Leicester and a DiploFoundation Senior Fellow; read more, including his current blog postings, on his website.

Programme details

What will you learn?
  • Describe and explain with clarity the shape and functions of the contemporary world diplomatic system.
  • Identify and describe the different stages of negotiations, the objectives for each stage, and techniques for securing agreement, providing examples from diplomatic practice.
  • Compare and contrast the various missions, offices, conferences, techniques and procedures of bilateral and multilateral diplomacy.
  • Analyse what contributes to successful mediation.
  • Justify the role of summits and their place in the negotiating arena.
  • Defend the value of diplomacy with authority and enthusiasm.
How will you learn? In this course you will interact intensively in discussions with classmates and lecturers from around the world. You will receive guidance and personalised feedback on your classwork from the course team. How long will you learn? The course lasts for 10 weeks:
  • 1 week of course introduction and orientation to online learning
  • 8 weeks of addressing the course topics one by one (see below for more details)
  • 1 week for the final assignment and completing pending tasks
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Alumni Diplo alumni

Master/Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Diplomacy

University of Malta logoThe Master/Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Diplomacy guides working diplomats and international relations professionals through the theoretical and practical building blocks of diplomacy, with a focus on contemporary issues and challenges.

Participants can focus on contemporary diplomacy, or select internet governance as an area of specialisation within the programme. Those who select internet governance will attend several required courses in this area and write their dissertations on internet governance-related topics.

Offered by DiploFoundation and the University of Malta’s Department of International Relations, the programme is:

  • Relevant: Courses cover traditional and contemporary topics in diplomacy; faculty members include practising and retired diplomats, and experts with both theoretical expertise and practical experience.
  • Flexible: You design your study programme, selecting from our wide range of courses and deciding on the Postgraduate Diploma or Master’s degree.
  • Practical and affordable: Programme fees are competitive compared to similar programmes; with online delivery, you can continue to work and earn an income. All you need is a computer connected to the internet.
  • Personalised: Small group sizes emphasise learning together, drawing on the experience and knowledge of participants as well as lecturers, enabling you to extend your professional network.
  • Effective: The programme is highly rated by former participants, who have seen immediate and lasting benefits ranging from personal development to career advances.
  • Accredited: The degree is awarded by the University of Malta; the programme has European postgraduate accreditation making it recognised worldwide.

Programme details

The Master/Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Diplomacy involves 16 to 20 months of online study, including writing a dissertation. Areas of study range from the basics of diplomacy (Diplomatic Theory and Practice, Bilateral Diplomacy, Multilateral Diplomacy, and more) to contemporary topics (Artificial Intelligence: Technology, Governance and Policy Frameworks, Internet Technology and Policy, E-Diplomacy, and more). Insider tip: You can complete up to two online courses before enrolling in the programme, for additional flexibility and financial savings. Please see University of Malta Accredited Courses to learn more about this option. The programme is organised in three phases. It starts with an introductory workshop which takes place over a three week period in January/February. Following the workshop, you will attend five online courses, each lasting ten weeks. The final phase includes writing your Master’s dissertation. The programme is awarded with 90 ECTS credits: 15 for the introductory workshop, 45 for 5 online courses (9 ECTS each) and 30 for the dissertation.

Introductory workshop

The introductory workshop focuses on building skills used in diplomatic practice, through an interactive and exercise-based set of seminars. The workshop sets the stage for the entire programme and provides the opportunity to get to know other course participants and faculty members. Participants tell us that they keep in touch with classmates and faculty members long after the programme ends and the resulting professional network is highly valuable in their work. The workshop takes place over a three-week period; you should expect to spend five to six hours of study time per day during this period, including reading and discussing course materials, attending live meetings via a video-conferencing platform, joining group exercises, and completing assignments. Insider tip: To get an idea of how the online workshop functions in practice, please check the 2021 online workshop schedule. N.B. The exact schedule for 2022 will be finalised and shared with applicants in January 2022.

Online courses

During this phase, you complete five online courses of your choice, each lasting ten weeks. Participation in the courses involves seven to ten hours of study time per week. Online class groups are small to allow for intensive discussion with course lecturers and classmates, and rich collaborative learning. Courses cover a wide range of both traditional and contemporary topics in diplomacy, many of them not taught elsewhere. See our full list of courses with the MA/PGD programme. After successful completion of the introductory workshop and five online courses, you may choose whether to receive the Postgraduate Diploma or to proceed with writing your Master's dissertation. In order to proceed to the Master’s degree, you must achieve an average mark of at least 65% for the five online courses.

Dissertation

If you aim for the Master's degree, you will prepare a 25,000-word dissertation on a topic of your choice under the personal online guidance of a research supervisor selected from Diplo's faculty members. You may decide whether to write your dissertation over a four- or eight-month period. Candidates for the internet governance specialisation will write their dissertations on internet governance-related topics.