2021/2022

2022/2023

DM270

SPS/06 (HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS)

DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

DIGITAL COMMUNICATION

PERCORSO COMUNE

2°

2nd semester (27/02/2023 - 31/05/2023)

6

36 lesson hours

English

WRITTEN AND ORAL TEST

POGGIOLINI ILARIA (titolare) - 6 ECTS

Interest and/or basic knowledge of how states interact in the international scenario in one or multiple historical phases '

This course has been offered for the first time in the first semester of the academic year 2020-21 in co-teaching with Professor Corneliu Bjola (Oxford University). The course allows students to understand the meaning of public diplomacy and the relationship between diplomacy and technological change; 2) to create significant links between pre-digital traditional forms of diplomacy and the present digitalization of diplomatic practices,; 3) to assess whether digital diplomacy is introducing original and critical insights into the conditions that allow digitalization to inform foreign policy. Case studies of relevant digital tools and the analysis of platforms that are being currently used by embassies and foreign ministries in their work, would allow students to observe and reflect - in their course work - on concrete examples of the present transformation towards digital diplomacy.

Public diplomacy is an integral part of state-to-state diplomacy: the conduct of official relations by diplomats representing sovereign states. The new trend towards public and digital diplomacy will not in the short term displace traditional state-to-state diplomacy as practiced by foreign ministries, but it will impact the way foreign ministries plan their activities. By calling attention to the changing landscape that new approaches and technological innovations create for diplomatic practice, this course seeks to explain what new dynamics, developments and trends have emerged at the intersection of diplomacy and digital communication, including social media, and to assess the implications of the digital transformation of diplomatic theory and practice. The main issues/questions presented and discussed by this course are the following:
1) To what extent digital diplomacy represents either an evolution or a revolution in the practice of diplomacy?
2) How effective is digital diplomacy in advancing the foreign policy agenda of a country?
3) How has crisis communication evolved as a result of the digital age? 4) What are the challenges and drawbacks of using digital tools during a crisis (both consular and diplomatic)?
5) How is social media used for disinformation and propaganda purposes?
6) Do we have tools at our disposal or can we device some to counteract digital disinformation campaigns?

This course offers 2 weekly teaching sessions over six weeks focusing on the contents previously listed. Guests lecturers and the main teacher will offer lectures based on strong interactive component and will provide students week by week with specific readings and support to carry on their course projects.

Bjola, Corneliu, and Marcus Holmes (eds). 2015. Digital diplomacy : theory and practice. Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon ; New York: Routledge.
Bjola, Corneliu and R. Zaiotti (eds.), Digital Diplomacy and International Organisations. Milton Park, Abingdon; New York: Routledge (forthcoming 2020).
Manor, Ilan, The Digitalization of Public Diplomacy (Palgrave, 2019)
Sandre, Andreas. 2015. Digital diplomacy : conversations on innovation in foreign policy. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield.

Attendance and participation in this course are extremely important. The final assessment is composed of 3 parts: 1) A multiple test of 6 questions to take on the Kirotesting platform; 2) The creation and submission of a Digital Diplomacy project by groups of students supported in their choices by the teaching staff; 3) the anonymous evaluation - via an online platform - of projects submitted by groups different from your own or - mainly for non-attending students - a short paper on a topic or theme of the course different from the one discussed in the Digital Diplomacy project.The final assessment includes an active/creative component that is the creation of an original, digital public diplomacy project. The evaluation of the student's projects is based on the number of expected objectives reached in a comparative framework.

A recorded pre-course aimed at introducing students to the main themes and issues discussed in this course is available each year before the beginning of classes. Given that the topic of this course may be unfamiliar to most students, we recommend virtually attending the pre-course before the beginning of classes.

4) Quality of Education
'Ensure inclusive and equitable quality of education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all'
In this case 'quality of education' means ensuring equitable high level access to learning in the area of contemporary international relations to allow for further opportunity of study and/or employment.
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