Statement - 16 February 2024
Since 2021, the College of Europe has adopted, also thanks to the input of students, a revised Code of Conduct that guarantees transparent and rigorous procedures to ensure that each member of the...
In an international context of increasingly competing narratives, public diplomacy is widely considered as full-fledged foreign policy tool. Nevertheless, its potential is still partially untapped. The European Union, thanks also to its large network of Delegations, has in recent years significantly improved its global outreach to raise awareness on its policies, its economic power, its commitment to multilateralism and a rules-based world order. But at the same time, the EU is more and more confronted with new challenges. The objective of this compact seminar is to understand how the EU institutions manage their public diplomacy and communication activities in practice, including regarding the Covid-19 pandemic and the growing impact of disinformation. The course offers a broad knowledge of the main practices and strategies implemented by the EU to globally gain trust and mutual understanding, and a frank assessment of the weaknesses that remain to be addressed. The students will participate in practical exercises and test their abilities to plan and implement public diplomacy activities.
Professor : Sabrina BELLOSI