Register now to reserve your place in our specialised spring courses!
👉🏼 Application deadlines for certificates issued by Diplo: 30 March 2026
For further information and to apply, click the course titles above or visit Diplo Academy’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 2026 online courses. Browse our course catalogue and contact us at admissions@diplomacy.edufor further information.
Upcoming events
◆ Technology Innovations for Creative Diplomacy (4 Mar.)
The webinar seeks to examine the impact of technological innovation on diplomatic practice, showcase creative applications of digital tools in public diplomacy and international engagement, and share practical experiences from technology-driven initiatives. It also aims to foster dialogue among key stakeholders on the opportunities, risks, and capacity needs in digital and creative diplomacy. Join us on 4 March, 13:00–14:30 UTC (14:00–15:30 CET). Learn more and register!
◆ Security and governance of open source software (OSS): Masterclass #1 (4 Mar.)
This Geneva Dialogue masterclass opens the first thematic cycle of 2026, dedicated to the security and governance of open source software. Its purpose is to establish a shared analytical baseline: how open source software (OSS) functions as a systemic dependency; how security responsibilities are distributed across maintainers, vendors, users, and public authorities; and where current governance approaches struggle to manage risk, accountability, and resilience at scale.
The session is designed to bridge policy and technical perspectives, and to frame the key questions that will be explored in depth during the subsequent scenario-based consultation. Join us on 4 March at 12:00 UTC (13:00 CET). Learn more and register!
Main takeaways from our recent events
◆ Decoding the UN CSTD Working Group on Data Governance online series
The 11th Geneva Engage Awards celebrated the remarkable efforts of International Geneva actors in digital outreach and online engagement. The recording of the award ceremony is now available!
Blogs and publications
◆ Do we really need frontier AI for everyday work?
We’re bombarded with news about the latest frontier AI models and their ever-expanding capabilities. But the real question is whether these advances matter for most of us, most of the time. In many everyday tasks, they don’t. Read the blog post!
◆ Agentic AI and the new industrial diplomacy
For most people, AI still means a chatbot in a browser or a recommender that pushes videos and ads. But in the past year, much of the interesting innovation has quietly moved into places the average person will never see: power plants, factories, logistics hubs, and gigantic automated warehouses. Read the blog post!
◆ Thirty years of original sin of digital and AI governance
On 8 February 1996, two decisions quietly shaped today’s digital and AI governance. One myth declared cyberspace lawless; one law removed platform liability. Thirty years on, their legacy still defines tech power. This blog unpacks the ‘original sin’ of digital governance. Read the blog post!
◆ GEO-politics/economics/emotions in the AI era
Geography is back, and AI is reshaping it. Power, markets, and emotions run through cables, chips, and data. Are we mistaking hype for strategy? Read the blog post!
◆ Seeing, moving, living: AI’s promise for accessible technology
The move from assistive to empowering technology is a key moment for human-centred AI. At Osaka Expo 2025, the RYO bionic hand showed a level of skill that challenges how we usually think about prosthetics, and points to a future of closer integration with our bodies. Read the blog post!
◆ The antonym of the antonym makes more sense than the synonym
What if the antonym of peace is sometimes… peace itself? Diplomacy lives through words – and words can mislead, mobilise, or mask. From Tolstoy and Orwell to Tom and Jerry and AI, this contrarian reflection explores how language shapes what we see – and what it sets in motion. Read the blog post!
◆ Cold War ghosts in the Caribbean: Is Cuba next?
With the return of a ‘total pressure’ policy and a historic migration crisis, Cuba is at a breaking point. As the energy grid fails and traditional allies like Mexico and China retreat into realpolitik, we analyse if the recent intervention in Venezuela has set the stage for a new era of direct confrontation in the Caribbean. Read the blog post!
◆ Sauna diplomacy and the quiet power of informality
Sauna diplomacy was not an eccentric footnote of the Cold War. It was an early illustration of how environments function as diplomatic tools. Read the blog post!
◆ Moltbook: Inside the experimental AI agent society
The AI agent social network Moltbook is fuelling the hype around autonomous ecosystems while raising concerns about security and digital reality. Read the DW analysis!
◆ AI in practice across the UN system: UN 2.0 AI Expo
The UN 2.0 Data & Digital AI Expo showcased how United Nations entities are integrating AI into their work to improve data quality, strengthen governance, and enhance decision-making across diverse operational areas. Read the DW analysis!
◆ DW Weekly #249: Why cyberspace doesn’t exist
In the latest issue of the DW Weekly newsletter:
Why cyberspace doesn’t exist
Russian and Dutch moves for digital sovereignty
Poland’s ban of children under 16 from social media
Social media platforms face addiction trial
Meta found in breach of EU’s antitrust rules over AI assistants integration
◆ Digital Watch Monthly newsletter – Issue 106 – January 2026
In our January 2026 issue, we focus on digital sovereignty as governments work to secure domestic technology, data, and infrastructure amid rising geopolitical tensions. We cover our annual AI and digital forecast, WSIS+20 outcomes, and progress on child safety online, including landmark US platform addiction trials. Read Digital Watch Monthly #106!
Cette publication est disponible aussi en français.
◆ On the origins of World War I
Before Sarajevo, there was Tripoli. How did Italy’s 1911 war with the Ottoman Empire in Africa destabilise Europe and shape the road to World War I? Read the blog post!
Latest videos
◆ Think.Build.AI #2: Inside the black box
AI doesn’t behave like other tools. It answers, adapts, and challenges assumptions – often making professionals uneasy. In this episode, we explore why working with AI feels different, why critical thinking matters more than control, and how real understanding comes from dialogue with machines. As AI enters public life, learning when to trust, question, and stop becomes a vital skill. Missed Think.Build.AI #1? Watch it here!
