
WINTER SEMINAR OF 2024
DIGITAL DIPLOMACY
&
NEGOTIATION
Online Seminar
Negotiating in a Digital Context
As our lives become increasingly online it is crucial to develop the skills to communicate on digital platforms successfully. Though online meetings come with the benefit of working from home in your pyjama pants, it can also be quite the challenge to get a message across. In the diplomatic world, online-negotiations are becoming more and more common. How do diplomats ensure negotiations run smoothly?
The winter seminar offers insights into this question through both a theoretical and practical approach. Along with introducing our participants to general concepts of diplomacy and negotiation, special attention is dedicated to understanding how digitisation impacts the world of international negotiations. As our lives become increasingly online, new hazards to successful international relations like digital misinformation and cybercrime emerge. How can a negotiation still be successful in the midst of this digital negotiation arena?
The program of 2024 includes speakers like Corneliu Bjola, speakers from Alter Contacts, the Dutch National Cyber Security Center, Dr. Ana Uribe Sandoval and Hans van den Berg and practicing diplomats. Participants are offered the opportunity to expand their (international) network with networking sessions and practice their skills in a diplomatic simulation. In doing so, participants represent a country or an international organisation, prepare a position, and negotiate an agreement.
AS A PARTICIPANT YOU...
GAIN THEORETICAL INSIGHTS
You will be challenged to gather theoretical insights in the rapidly developing field of digital diplomacy from leading figures in the field.
WORK ON NEGOTIATION AND DIPLOMACY SKILLS
Gain valuable skills through a proven combination of applying theoretical knowledge in high end simulations. During the winter seminar, you will develop skills for public speaking, speech writing, doing research for negotiation and reporting.
START BUILDING YOUR OWN INTERNATIONAL NETWORK!
Build your international network through the Young Diplomat community and meet with diplomats from different disciplines. The Young Diplomat community offers you the opportunity to find new contacts within the field.

PROGRAM WINTER SEMINAR OF 2024
DIGITAL DIPLOMACY & NEGOTIATION
CET (Amsterdam Time)
Sunday the 21st of January 2024
20.00 - 21.00’ish
Online welcome and introductions
Tuesday the 23rd of January 2024
19.30 - 21.00
National Cyber Security
Dutch National Cyber Security Center
Wednesday 24th of January 2024
19.30 - 21.00
Digital Diplomacy and Social Media
Dr. Ana Uribe Sandoval (Senior Lecturer at Erasmus University Rotterdam at the Department of Media and Communication)
Thursday the 25th of January 2024
19.30 - 21.00
The Dark Side of Digital Diplomacy: Tactics for Countering Digital Disinformation.
Professor Corneliu Bjola (Associate Professor of Diplomatic Studies at Oxford University)
Saturday the 27th of January 2024
10.00 - 17.00
Power & Strategies in International Diplomacy & Negotiations.
H.B. van den Berg, MSc. (Center for International Legal Cooperation and Director of The Young Diplomat)
Sunday the 28th of January 2024
13.00 - 16.00
Movie & Fun
Watching the movie The Agreement (on the negotiations between Serbia and Kosovo)
Followed by games and open discussions in GatherTown
Tuesday 30th of January 2024
19.30 - 21.00
Disinformation and the Dutch approach
Representatives of the Ministry of Justice and Security in the Netherlands
Wednesday 31st of January 2024
19.30 - 21.00
Workshop/Lecture on Artificial Intelligence in Geopolitics
Thursday 1st of February 2024
19.00 - 20.30
Diplomatic Panel Discussion
Speakers to be announced.
Saturday 3rd of February 2024
10.00 - 17.00
Digital Diplomacy Simulation.
Sunday 4th of February 2024
13.00 - 14.30
Discussion and reflections on the Simulation
14.30 - 15.00
Farewell and goodbye's

TUITION FEE
The tuition fee for this online Winter Seminar is 50 Euros.
This fee includes:
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Panel discussion, workshops, lectures and final simulation.
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Access to all events via a protected and certified ZOOM host-account.
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All reading materials.
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Certificate of participation.
To guarantee personalised and high-quality education we will only host 40 spots.
HOW TO APPLY
Application procedure
To be admitted for this program you do not need previous experience, knowledge, or related studies in the field. This program is open to anyone interested in the subject and wishing to obtain experience with cyber security and diplomacy and negotiation.
To be selected, please fill out our form (button below) in which you will be asked to provide us with the following:
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A motivational statement of a minimum of 250 and a maximum of 500 words. Include why you want to take part in this course on Conflict Resolution and Mediation and why you should be considered. How would this help you with your future development or plans? Also, what will you bring to our courses and how you could help other participants with their development? Avoid summarising your CV.
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Your Curriculum Vitae, including current or previous studies, current or previous work experience, current or previous extra-curricula.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: December 17th, 2023, 15.00 (CET, Amsterdam Time)
TESTIMONIALS FROM PREVIOUS PARTICIPANTS...
I could feel the love for the discipline of diplomacy through my screen. Even though we couldn't see each other in real life in The Hague, the Young Diplomat team did manage to give a good insight into and lessons from the world of diplomacy by sharing knowledge, skills and anecdotes from real-life by involving both practitioners and professors from the field. In doing so, it has brought me closer to reaching my goal for which I am thankful.
Whereas in digital form, the Winter School has allowed me both to apperceive diplomacy and to recognize myself in it, opportunities like this in fact reveal us to others and even more to ourselves. The Young Diplomat was one of the most proactive, interactive and interested occasions of my academic career
The course is incredibly well organized and allows you to put theory into practice. The atmosphere was open, friendly and respectful. The materials provided, the speakers, simulation and multicultural environment made this a remarkable experience.