This continuing education course is aimed at anyone working in, or planning to work in, foreign relations and related fields. This includes professionals in the private sector and all areas of public administration, as well as trade associations and NGOs. 

• The course focuses on the theoretical and practical knowledge needed to operate successfully in an international environment.
• Practical abilities are taught by means of media training, interactive workshops with experts, and networking events.
• Participants understand the significance of information security in diplomacy and are able to apply this to practical situations in their individual professional lives.

The curriculum of “Diplomacy & Information Security” focuses on (digital) security aspects in the context of diplomacy and international relations. The course provides practical specialist knowledge of geopolitics, cyberdefense, and e-government. During the field trip to Vienna in the second part of the course, participants visit international organizations, such as the OSZE, the IAEA, the UNOOSA, and the Vienna School of International Studies.

The WBK Diplomacy & Information Security (6 ECTS) can be extended to a DAS Applied Diplomacy (30 ECTS). Further elements - all of which can also be taken individually - are the following courses:

The continuing education course “Diplomacy & Information Security” is characterized by methodological diversity. In addition to their lectures, exercises, practical case studies, e-learning assignments, and simulations, students are encouraged to continually reflect on and interpret current events. The course concludes with a practical exam (presentation).

Part-time course of study:
Friday and Saturday, 8.45 am to 4.45 pm.

Excursion to Vienna, Thursday to Saturday (3 days). For your individual arrival and departure, we recommend the night train (Nightjet) with arrival on Thursday morning and return on Saturday evening.

Languages of instruction are German and English.
Participants are expected to be proficient in both languages (oral & written communication).

• Simon Bäder, Team Leader ICT Application Engineering at Flughafen Zürich AG and former Team Leader ICT Support ZHAW
• Jürg Hostettler, former Head of Communications ZHAW School of Management and Law
• Julian Kamasa, Senior Researcher, Center for Security Studies (CSS)
• Pascal Lago, Senior Researcher Smart Government and Swiss Security Policy, Avenir Suisse, Author of “An International Think Tank Report on Security in Europe”
• Dr. Michael Widmer, Dozent für Datenschutzrecht, ZHAW School of Management and Law
• Nicolas Zahn, Expert on Digital Governance, Co-Author of “Making Sense of Artificial Intelligence: Why Switzerland Should Support a Scientific UN Panel to Assess the Rise of AI”

Applications will be processed in the order in which they are received.