Diplo is currently running an open call for applications for the following courses, which form part of the Thematic Phase of the Internet Governance Capacity Building Programme:
· Privacy and Personal Data Protection delves into the details of many of the global and local discussions surrounding privacy, the main instruments dealing with data protection and information privacy, their effects on national and regional regulations, emerging privacy issues such as anonymous expression, social networks, and cloud computing, the risks and challenges related to cybersecurity concerns, and the roles that companies play in the privacy protection ecosystem.
· ICT Policy and Strategic Planning offers in-depth discussion of national ICT policies and strategies, development, implementation and management, e-readiness assessment and benchmarking, including the analysis of case studies.
· ICT Infrastructure and Critical Internet Resources (CIRS) presents topics and issues related to infrastructure and CIRs, including infrastructure development, connection costs, regulatory frameworks, IP protocols, network neutrality, the domain name system (DNS), and the roles of the main actors.
Dates: The courses are conducted online over a period of ten weeks, starting on 22 July, and include one week of classroom orientation, eight weeks of dynamic class content, discussion and activities, and one week for the final assignment.
Structure: Reading materials and tools for online interaction are provided through Diplo's award-winning online classrooms. Each week, participants read and discuss the provided lecture texts through hypertext entries; the tutor and other participants read and respond to these entries, creating interaction based on the lecture texts. During the week, participants complete additional online activities (e.g. further discussion via blogs or forums or quizzes). At the end of the week, participants and tutors meet for an online chat session. Courses are based on a collaborative approach to learning, involving a high level of interaction. The course materials, the e-learning platform, and the working language of the course is English.
Who can benefit? We encourage the following to apply:
· Officials in government ministries, departments, or institutions dealing with Information Society, Internet and ICT-related policy issues (e.g. telecommunications, education, foreign affairs, justice);
· Researchers, academic, and postgraduate students in the IG field (e.g. in telecommunications, electrical engineering, law, economics, development studies);
· Civil society activists in the IG and Information Society fields;
· Journalists covering IG issues; and
· Individuals in Internet business-related fields (e.g. ISPs, software developers).
Requirements: The course is flexible, yet intensive. Applicants are required to have:
· IG knowledge and/or experience of the multistakeholder approach in international affairs, together with basic knowledge of the Internet infrastructure;
· Either completed the course Introduction to Internet Governance, or have basic knowledge of Internet governance, and privacy (for applicants for the Privacy course) or infrastructure (for applicants of the Infrastructure course);
· Sufficient ability in the English language to undertake postgraduate level studies (including reading academic texts, discussing complex concepts with other course participants, and submitting written essay assignments);
· Regular access to the Internet (dial-up connection is sufficient, although broadband is preferable);
· A minimum of 7-8 hours commitment per week, and the readiness to participate in class online sessions (once a week at specified times).
Fees and Scholarships: The enrollment fee for each course is €600. A limited number of partial scholarships (maximum 20%) will be offered to participants from developing and emerging countries. Participants who would like to apply for financial assistance must upload a CV and a motivation letter when applying.
For more information about each course, click on the links above, or e-mail us at
ig@diplomacy.edu.
