"Digital Diplomacy: Prospects and Challenges" at the Diplomatic School of Armenia

In the framework of the EU-funded project "Support to Capacity and Institution Building of the Diplomatic Academy in Armenia", the Diplomatic School of Armenia and the consortium led by the College of Europe Development Office organized a conference on "Digital Diplomacy: Prospects and Challenges" in Yerevan, Armenia on 11-12 May 2015.

The Director of the Diplomatic School of Armenia, H.E. Mr Vahe GABRIELYAN, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, H.E. Mr Edward NALBANDIAN, and the Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia, H.E. Mr Traian HRISTEA, opened the conference.  Four panels were foreseen to take place during the event, two panels per day:

The first panel dealt with "Information and Communication Management for Diplomats: Opportunities and Risks". This panel reflected on how to frame digital diplomacy and how digitization is changing diplomacy.

The second panel covered "Diplomacy and Virtual Realities: Tools and Practices". It examined how diplomacy is changing in practice, with practitioners and researchers explaining how tools are being used in different fields of diplomacy.

The third panel was entitled "Country Experiences: Accommodating Change and Assessing Impact". The aim of this panel was to compare how ministries of foreign affairs in different countries are adapting digital strategies and transforming the organization and approach of their services.

The last panel focused on "Diplomatic Schools & E-Diplomacy: Best Training Practices". This panel was open to speakers of peer institutions of the Diplomatic School of Armenia. They shared their work experience, lessons learnt and best practices.