Public Diplomacy in a Multipolar World

Public diplomacy, and its sister concept, soft power, dominate much of the current academic debate about 21st century diplomacy. A major challenge for governments is how to develop effective public diplomacy, and optimize the use of their soft power, in a rapidly changing global environment. This course aims to help participants understand what public diplomacy is, how its practice has evolved over time and how the current challenges are being addressed. It will also examine a range of tools & techniques available to public diplomacy practitioners. This online course aims to provide diplomats and public officials with an idea of the strategic significance of public diplomacy in the past and future. The crucial project steps of campaigns, media relations and other public diplomacy tools are analysed, discussed and summarised in a very practice oriented manner. Legal and human resource questions complement the material in order to be applicable in many environments.

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Target Audience

The course targets mid to senior-level government officers in ministries preparing for and/or taking part in conferences in relation to climate change as well as staff of intergovernmental / nongovernmental organizations. It also targets entry-level and mid-career diplomats working in a multilateral setting. Private sector specialists and students whose work or studies are related to this subject are also encouraged to apply.

Learning Objectives

Define and discuss the basic concepts of public diplomacy and how its practice is evolving;
Explain the distinction between public diplomacy and related activities such as nation branding, propaganda, cultural relations, public relations and lobbying;
Demonstrate knowledge of the skills and techniques required by public diplomacy practitioners vis-à-vis the media and other stakeholders;
Design strategic media plans and public diplomacy campaigns by using modern and conventional public diplomacy tools.