התוכנית לדיפלומטיה ציבורית

( 6 credits )

Changes in world politics and technological developments had expanded significantly the role of the media in diplomacy. International relations, to a large extent, takes place in the realm of communication and it involves public diplomacy, especially during conflicts in which a country’s image serves as part of its national security. In the information age we live in, foreign policies cannot succeed without communications capabilities that have an impact on the way people, organizations and Governments perceive the events. The purpose of this course is to examine the management of public diplomacy by different political actors in the information age. We will discuss the changes in international relations as a result of technological developments; how does actors use the traditional media and the new media in order to promote their messages during conflicts; states' branding; the use of the internet by different actors (including terrorist organizations); and Israel's public diplomacy. During the course the students will conducts research dealing with different aspects of public diplomacy during conflicts.

( 2 credits )

The course will review the security dilemmas of Israel in a public diplomacy framing. During the semester, the main security challenges will be presented from differing viewpoints, to give a well-rounded overview of the dilemmas and implications that security related events have on Israeli Public Diplomacy, The areas will include: the Northern borders (Syria and Lebanon), the Palestinian Territories (Gaza and the West Bank), Jerusalem, Egypt and any other relevant areas.

(2 Credits)

One of the main challenges of diplomacy in the 21st Century is remaining effective and influential in a world saturated with information, disruptive changes, endless actors and decreasing budgets. Therefore, Innovative Diplomacy is one of the key components that diplomacy needs in order to overcome this challenge and even turn it into an opportunity. In this course you will learn the three components of the Abba Eban Institute model: Groundbreaking Thinking - Implementation of new or paradigm-shifting approaches and methods in the diplomatic arenaTechnological. Applications- Implementation of technological tools and methods in the diplomatic process and related ecosystems. Distribution of Innovation- International distribution of local innovation as a means to promote international relations between people and countries on all levels - government, business, academic and civil society We will discuss the changes in international relations and the world of diplomacy, and learn about the current geopolitical context of the world, while focusing on new approaches and tools for innovative diplomacy. As we believe in the interdisciplinary approach, the course will consist of academic and practical content, taught by both academic experts and top practitioners, based on their life experience.

4 Credits (2 for Internship; 2 for workshops)

Students of the program have the unique opportunity to apply the skills learnt throughout the program and gain practical experience through a special internship at Act-IL. Act-IL's vision is to lead an online activism community, on various platforms, in order to fight antisemitism, combat the trend of boycott and delegitimization movements against the State of Israel, and act to create a positive influence on international public opinion towards Israel. The students of the program commit to approximately 8 additional weekly hours, in which they work as interns at the organization and receive practical experience in strategizing decisions, as well as the creation and distribution of digital content. As part of the internship, students are also taught a variety of practical tools dealing with content creation, messages promotion, branding, and the shaping of public opinion in the digital age, among other things, through various professional workshops. The 8 additional hours that students will commit to, will be done in departments. Students will be taught most general Act-IL topics in the first week, and thereafter they will be able to apply to the various departments. After they have been divided into departments, more intense training for each department will take place. Shifts will start at the beginning of the year (end October 2020) and continue until the end of July 2021, during semesters and also during exam periods (taking into consideration the timetables and needs of the interns). Interns will participate in professional workshops throughout the two semesters as well. After meeting all the internship's requirements, interns will gain two credits for the internship and two credits for the workshops (interns will be graded numerically for both). In addition, interns will be eligible for an annual scholarship of $600.