CYDIPLO will explore the emerging field of cyberdiplomacy, in the EU and with key strategic partners. Drawing on perspectives from computer science, political science, law, and behavioural science, it explores a variety of questions, including, how is cyberdiplomacy implemented at the state, non-state, regional and global levels across key issue areas? What are the major challenges and the core diplomatic instruments applied to tackle them? Does cyberdiplomacy require new tools and mechanisms?  CYDIPLO has four key objectives:

– create a consortium of European and Asia Pacific universities to further research and teach cyberdiplomacy and internationalise existing cyber security teaching and research programmes at these universities (the consortium includes Universite libre de Bruxelles, University of Warwick, University of Leiden, University of Bologna, Tallinn University of technology, International Christian University and University of Waikato)

– foster innovative research on cyberdiplomacy and build expertise among young researchers and teachers on cyber security within the EU, Europe and with strategic partners

– professionalise cyberdiplomacy by (a) developing and embedding graduate and professional training programmes within the EU, and (b) creating teaching and learning materials and modules for emerging cyber diplomats

– combine academic and practitioner perspectives on cyberdiplomacy through stakeholder events in global cyberdiplomacy hubs. The project will lead to the production of a comprehensive handbook on cyber diplomacy, a Journal Special issue on cyberdiplomacy, the establishment of a Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) on cyberdiplomacy, a series of cyberdiplomacy issue briefs, the establishment of an online research and teaching repository in cyberdiplomacy, and the establishment of teaching exchanges between the seven partner institutions. Ultimately, CYDIPLO will create a sustainable network of both EU and non-EU partners.

EVENTS

Workshop 6-7 June 2022 "Diversifying Cyber Diplomacy"

Diversifying Cyber Diplomacy” is the CYDIPLO project’s second workshop and will be hosted by the Department of Political and Social Sciences of the University of Bologna. The aim of the workshop is a) to bring together academia, think tanks and public and private institutions and b) to bring all the CYDIPLO network teachers and researchers together and will focus on issues including, gender issues in cyber security and diplomacy, perspectives from the global south, capacity building challenges in emerging cyberdiplomacy nations, non-traditional/non-western forms and approaches to cyberdiplomacy. As well as a series of roundtable discussions, the workshop will include talks from those actively involved in cyber diplomacy and leading academics in the field.  Day 1 of the workshop will be open to the public and streamed. Day 2 will be for network researchers only and will discuss issues related to project management and development, focusing on planned deliverables such as Special Issue in an academic journal and the Handbook of Cyberdiplomacy, as well as developing teaching materials and training for the MOOC and handbook.

Workshop 25-26 March 2021 "Conceptualising Cyber Diplomacy"

The aim of this workshop is to bring all the CYDIPLO network teachers and researchers together and to build understanding within the project of a range of perspectives on cyber diplomacy, what it is, how we understand it from different academic disciplines, and how we can use the multidisciplinary expertise in the project to further the main project activities and outputs.  As well as a series of roundtable discussion, the workshop will include talks from those actively involved in cyber diplomacy and leading academics in the field.  Day 1 of the workshop will be open to the public and streamed via Zoom.  Day 2 will be for network researchers only. Download flyer

More information on the project's website

Updated on January 20, 2023