Digital Diplomacy: Prospects and Challenges
Yerevan, Armenia, May 11-12, Armenia
PROGRAMME
Sunday, May 10
Cultural and social programme [reservation required]
14.30h: Tour to the Garni Temple and Geghard Monastery
19.30h: Welcome reception and dinner
Monday, May 11
10.30h: Registration
11.00h: Opening addresses:
HE Vahe Gabrielyan, Director of the Diplomatic School of Armenia
A speaker on behalf of the government
HE Traian Hristea, Head of the EU Delegation
12.00h: Conference Picture
12.30h: Lunch at the conference venue
14.00h: Panel 1. Information and Communication Management for Diplomats:
Opportunities and Risks
This panel will reflect on how to frame digital diplomacy and how digitization is
changing diplomacy. The panel is moderated by Vahe Gabrielyan, Director of the
Diplomatic School of Armenia. The topics presented are:
“E-diplomacy: Managing change at home and from afar”, by Marcus Holmes,
Professor of Government, The College of William & Mary (Virginia, US)
“The role of secrecy in an era of e-diplomacy”, by Paul Sharp, Professor and Head
of Political Science, University of Minnesota (US)
“Diplomacy and visuality in a post-protocol era”, by Costas Constantinou, Professor
of International Relations, University of Cyprus
Followed by a debate with the audience
16.00h: Coffee Break
16.30h: Panel 2. Diplomacy and Virtual Realities: Tools and Practices
This panel focuses on how diplomacy is changing in practice, with practitioners and
researchers explaining how tools are being used in different fields of diplomacy. The
panel is moderated by Tigran Mkrtchyan, Head of the Department of Press,
Information and Public Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Armenia.
PROGRAMME [continued]
The topics presented are:
Page 1 of 3
With the support of
the European Union
"Diplomacy at the intersection of technology and innovation", by Andreas Sandre,
Press and Public Affairs Officer, Embassy of Italy to the United States
"Start-up embassy: the role of a digital presence in building a new bilateralrelationship", by HE Mark McDowell, Ambassador of Canada in Burma
"Beyond twiplomacy - How the revolution in ITCs has transformed the diplomatic
ecosystem", by Daryl Copeland, Senior Fellow, Canadian Defence and Foreign
Affairs Institute
"The Development of SanctionsApp" , a video-presentation by Thomas Biersteker,
Gasteyger Professor of International Security, The Graduate Institute (Switzerland)
Followed by a debate with the audience
19.30h: Reception and Dinner
Tuesday, May 12
10.00h: Panel 3. Country Experiences: Accommodating Change and Assessing Impact
The aim of this panel is to compare how ministries of foreign affairs in different
countries are adapting digital strategies and transforming the organisation and
approach of their services. The panel is moderated by Tigran Balayan, Spokesperson
of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Armenia. The country presentations in the panel
are:
“Scaling digital diplomacy”, by Graham Lampa, Special Advisor for Digital
Diplomacy, Department of State, USA
“UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office: the digital journey”, by Claire Collins,
Programme Manager, Digital Transformation Unit, Foreign and Commonwealth
Office, UK
“Public diplomacy in the digital age: the Estonian e-government Experience”, by HE
Taavi Toom, Director General, Public Diplomacy Department, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, Estonia
“Curiosity and adaptation”, by Jon Pelling, the Head of Communication at the
Embassy of Sweden in London
Followed by a debate with the audience
12.30h: Lunch at the conference venue
Page 2 of 3
With the support of
the European Union
PROGRAMME [continued]
14.00h: Panel 4. Diplomatic Schools & E-Diplomacy: Best Training Practices
This panel is open to speakers of peer institutions of the Diplomatic School of
Armenia, sharing their work experience and lessons learnt. The panel is moderated
by Joseph Mifsud, Director of the London Academy of Diplomacy, University of East
Anglia in the UK. The contributions are:
"Effective e-learning for diplomats", by Hannah Slavik, Educational Programmes
Director, DiploFoundation
"Diplomatic training for digital diplomacy – a UK Foreign Office perspective", by
Peter Clements, Head of Operations and Outreach, Diplomatic Academy, FCO, UK
"Digital training practices in the Norwegian foreign service", by Odd Mølster,
Director, Section for public diplomacy, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Norway
"Hacking diplomacy: New skills for the Spanish Diplomacy", by Juan Luis Manfredi
Sanchez, Professor at the University of Castilla-La Mancha, teaching digital
diplomacy at the Diplomatic School of Spain
"The education of cyber diplomacy in the School of International Relations of the
Islamic Republic of Iran", by Saeed Seyed Agha Banihashemi, Dean of the School of
International Relations, Iran
"E-Diplomacy: Observations and insights of the Foreign Service Institute of the
Philippines", by Julio S. Amador III, Deputy Director-General, Foreign Service
Institute of the Philippines
Followed by a debate with the audience
16.30h: Wrapping-up
Conclusions by HE Vahe Gabrielyan, Director of the Diplomatic School of Armenia
19.00h: Closing Dinner
Page 3 of 3
With the support of
the European Union