- Define digital surveillance and its uses in foreign policy and national security.
- Analyze ethical frameworks related to data collection and digital monitoring.
- Evaluate the impact of surveillance revelations on diplomatic relationships.
- Interpret national and international laws governing surveillance activities.
- Balance transparency, privacy, and security in diplomatic engagements.
- Respond diplomatically to surveillance-related crises or scandals.
- Assess risks posed by digital espionage and counter-surveillance.
- Debate surveillance practices in a global governance context.
- Design internal protocols for ethical use of digital intelligence.
- Develop a diplomatic response plan to address surveillance challenges.
Course Description: This course addresses the ethical, legal, and strategic dimensions of digital surveillance in international diplomacy. Participants will explore the balance between national security, privacy, and international norms. Through case studies and debates, students will learn to navigate surveillance practices, manage diplomatic fallout, and define professional boundaries in the digital age. Course Length: 6 weeks (36 total instructional hours) Proficiency Level: Advanced Prerequisite: Completion of a lower-intermediate ESL course or equivalent language proficiency Course Objectives:
Course Description: This course introduces strategic foresight and intelligence analysis as core competencies for modern diplomacy. Participants will learn to assess geopolitical trends, anticipate risks, and generate scenarios for future global developments. Through exercises in horizon scanning, intelligence briefings, and predictive modeling, students will enhance their ability to inform diplomatic planning and long-term decision-making. Course Length: 6 weeks (36 total instructional hours) Proficiency Level: Advanced Prerequisite: Completion of a lower-intermediate ESL course or equivalent language proficiency Course Objectives:- Define strategic foresight and its relevance to diplomacy.
- Identify tools for analyzing political, economic, and technological change.
- Apply scenario planning techniques to foreign policy challenges.
- Use horizon scanning to identify emerging global risks.
- Conduct basic geopolitical and intelligence analysis.
- Design early warning systems for diplomatic strategy.
- Integrate data and expert insight into forecasting efforts.
- Communicate future scenarios and briefings effectively.
- Evaluate implications of uncertainty and complexity in diplomacy.
- Develop a strategic foresight plan for diplomatic missions.
Course Description: This course prepares diplomats to support peacebuilding and justice initiatives in post-conflict settings. Participants will explore tools for reconciliation, legal redress, institution rebuilding, and transitional governance. Through case studies, dialogue design, and scenario planning, students will build skills to address legacies of violence and promote long-term stability. Course Length: 6 weeks (36 total instructional hours) Proficiency Level: Advanced Prerequisite: Completion of a lower-intermediate ESL course or equivalent language proficiency Course Objectives:- Define post-conflict diplomacy and transitional justice.
- Analyze peace agreements and mechanisms for transitional governance.
- Evaluate truth commissions, reparations, and international tribunals.
- Assess the role of diplomats in promoting reconciliation and reform.
- Support local ownership of justice and accountability processes.
- Coordinate international assistance to post-conflict states.
- Design dialogue processes that include victims and marginalized groups.
- Navigate challenges of amnesty, prosecution, and reconciliation.
- Apply lessons from global case studies of transitional justice.
- Develop a diplomatic plan to support post-conflict recovery and peace.
Course Description: This course explores the subtle and strategic use of backchannel communications in diplomacy. Participants will learn the principles, methods, and ethical considerations behind informal diplomatic channels used for de-escalation, trust-building, and deal-making. Drawing on historical examples and simulations, students will gain the ability to design and execute silent diplomacy with discretion and impact. Course Length: 6 weeks (36 total instructional hours) Proficiency Level: Advanced Prerequisite: Completion of a lower-intermediate ESL course or equivalent language proficiency Course Objectives:- Define backchannel diplomacy and its historical significance.
- Analyze successful and failed uses of backchannel communications.
- Design informal communication strategies for complex negotiations.
- Maintain confidentiality, trust, and plausible deniability in sensitive talks.
- Evaluate the ethical implications of unofficial diplomatic engagement.
- Coordinate messaging between official and unofficial diplomatic tracks.
- Leverage intermediaries and third-party actors effectively.
- Use backchannel methods to de-escalate conflict and test proposals.
- Simulate backchannel negotiations under tight constraints.
- Develop a protocol for managing backchannel communication in foreign service.
Course Description: This course prepares diplomats to operate effectively during global disruptions, including pandemics, coups, natural disasters, and civil unrest. Participants will analyze crisis diplomacy frameworks, continuity planning, and real-time coordination tools. Case studies and simulations will enable students to respond quickly, manage risk, and maintain diplomatic engagement under volatile conditions. Course Length: 6 weeks (36 total instructional hours) Proficiency Level: Advanced Prerequisite: Completion of a lower-intermediate ESL course or equivalent language proficiency Course Objectives:- Define crisis diplomacy and its role in foreign service.
- Recognize the diplomatic implications of pandemics, coups, and disasters.
- Analyze institutional and national responses to global disruptions.
- Design emergency protocols and continuity of mission plans.
- Coordinate international assistance and resource deployment.
- Communicate with media and stakeholders during crisis situations.
- Maintain alliances and trust during unpredictable environments.
- Respond ethically and effectively to evolving security conditions.
- Simulate decision-making in rapidly changing crisis scenarios.
- Develop a disruption-resilient diplomatic engagement strategy.
Course Description: This course explores the growing influence of cities in global diplomacy. Participants will examine how urban centers shape foreign policy, build transnational networks, and promote sustainability, resilience, and innovation. Topics include city-to-city diplomacy, urban foreign affairs offices, global mayors’ summits, and the strategic roles of cities in achieving international goals. Course Length: 6 weeks (36 total instructional hours) Proficiency Level: Advanced Prerequisite: Completion of a lower-intermediate ESL course or equivalent language proficiency Course Objectives:- Define urban diplomacy and its significance in international relations.
- Analyze the roles cities play in global governance and development.
- Explore city-led foreign policy initiatives and networks.
- Evaluate the impact of urban diplomacy on climate, trade, and security.
- Compare national and subnational diplomatic approaches.
- Identify best practices in municipal international engagement.
- Assess partnerships between cities, NGOs, and international organizations.
- Develop policy recommendations for city-level diplomatic initiatives.
- Simulate city-level negotiations on transnational challenges.
- Create an urban diplomacy strategy for a city or metropolitan region.
- Course Description: This course empowers diplomats with the technical knowledge and practical skills to operate effectively in a digitally driven world. Participants will explore digital platforms, communication technologies, virtual diplomacy, and data tools that shape modern foreign service. Emphasis is placed on cybersecurity, remote engagement, and digital collaboration in high-stakes environments. Course Length: 6 weeks (36 total instructional hours) Proficiency Level: Advanced Prerequisite: Completion of a lower-intermediate ESL course or equivalent language proficiency Course Objectives:
- Define digital diplomacy and its operational relevance for diplomats.
- Identify essential digital tools and platforms used in foreign service.
- Conduct secure communication and collaboration in virtual settings.
- Apply data analysis tools for diplomatic research and reporting.
- Use digital scheduling, mapping, and event management applications.
- Evaluate cybersecurity protocols and risks in diplomatic missions.
- Develop engaging presentations using modern software tools.
- Leverage virtual reality and simulations for training and engagement.
- Collaborate in cloud-based and multi-time-zone working environments.
- Design a digital engagement toolkit for embassy or consular work.
Course Description: This forward-looking course explores how outer space has become a strategic domain for diplomacy, governance, and competition. Participants will analyze space treaties, security concerns, satellite diplomacy, and the roles of governmental and commercial actors. The course equips students to engage in shaping multilateral frameworks for peaceful cooperation and sustainable use of space. Course Length: 6 weeks (36 total instructional hours) Proficiency Level: Advanced Prerequisite: Completion of a lower-intermediate ESL course or equivalent language proficiency Course Objectives:- Understand the history and evolution of space diplomacy.
- Interpret key treaties and legal frameworks governing outer space.
- Analyze strategic interests and risks in Earth orbit and beyond.
- Evaluate the role of space in global security and communications.
- Identify commercial and national actors in space activities.
- Design diplomatic strategies for space cooperation and conflict avoidance.
- Address issues of space debris, sustainability, and access equity.
- Navigate multilateral negotiations on space governance.
- Assess dual-use technologies and the militarization of space.
- Develop a national or alliance-based strategy for space diplomacy.
Course Description: This course equips diplomats and national security professionals with the knowledge and tools to engage in cyber diplomacy. It explores cybersecurity threats, global norms for cyberspace, and diplomatic efforts to secure the digital domain. Participants will examine the intersection of cyber policy and international relations, building skills for negotiation, deterrence, coordination, and defense in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. Course Length: 6 weeks (36 total instructional hours) Proficiency Level: Advanced Prerequisite: Completion of a lower-intermediate ESL course or equivalent language proficiency Course Objectives:- Define cyber diplomacy and its significance in global security.
- Analyze cyber threats, actors, and national vulnerabilities.
- Interpret international norms and legal frameworks in cyberspace.
- Evaluate confidence-building measures (CBMs) in cyber cooperation.
- Collaborate with intelligence, defense, and civilian sectors.
- Negotiate bilateral and multilateral cyber defense agreements.
- Assess the role of attribution, deterrence, and response in cyber policy.
- Design crisis communication strategies for cyber incidents.
- Engage in cyber simulations and real-time diplomatic responses.
- Develop a cyber diplomacy policy for national security objectives.
Course Description: This cutting-edge course explores the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and international diplomacy. Participants will examine AI’s role in shaping global governance, cybersecurity, digital rights, and foreign policy. Through case studies, simulations, and strategic planning, students will develop informed approaches to AI ethics, regulation, and cross-border cooperation in diplomatic practice. Course Length: 6 weeks (36 total instructional hours) Proficiency Level: Advanced Prerequisite: Completion of a lower-intermediate ESL course or equivalent language proficiency Course Objectives:- Define artificial intelligence and its applications in diplomacy.
- Analyze the geopolitical implications of AI leadership and regulation.
- Explore global frameworks and efforts for AI governance.
- Evaluate the risks and benefits of AI deployment in foreign affairs.
- Apply ethical principles to AI-related diplomatic decisions.
- Examine the role of AI in cybersecurity and national sovereignty.
- Collaborate across borders to address AI challenges and standards.
- Design diplomatic approaches for AI in conflict prevention and peacebuilding.
- Develop communication strategies for AI-related negotiations.
- Propose a national strategy for AI and international diplomatic engagement.
