Global Diplomacy – Diplomacy in the Modern World (Coursera)

Global Diplomacy – Diplomacy in the Modern World (Coursera)

The Global Diplomacy course is a unique offering to the MOOC environment. Bringing together cutting edge research in the broad fields of Diplomatic and International Studies, award winning distance learning delivery and the instructors previous experience of delivering a successful MOOC. Please see the volume Global Diplomacy: Theories, Types and Models authored with Dr Alison Holmes, (Westview, 2016), and the Understanding Research Methods MOOC from Coursera.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

The Global Diplomacy MOOC has a direct heritage in the University of London International Academy/SOAS Global Diplomacy MA Programme launched in April 2013 which have attracted hundreds of students from around the world. The Global Diplomacy MA Programme is provided by the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy which has been teaching postgraduate courses in Diplomacy for over twenty five years. After completing the 'Global Diplomacy' MOOC, learners will have:

  1. The ability to demonstrate a critical understanding of the nature and development of global diplomacy, drawing on a variety of relevant contributing disciplines in the broad field of International Studies.
  2. An understanding of changes in diplomatic practices and procedures and the relationship of those changes to contemporary politics.
  3. A sound grounding in both theoretical and empirical approaches to debates in diplomacy so that students have been exposed to the and skills needed to analyse global diplomacy.
  4. knowledge of issues in global diplomacy in historical and contemporary contexts.

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Welcome to Global Diplomacy: Diplomacy in the Modern World.
What is Diplomacy?
In this E-tivity we will question the nature of diplomacy and construct a definition.

WEEK 2
Success and Failure in Diplomacy
Welcome to the second week of Global Diplomacy: Diplomacy in the Modern World. This module will explore what constitutes Success and Failure in Diplomacy

WEEK 3
The Qualities of a 'Good' Diplomat
Welcome to the third week of Global Diplomacy: Diplomacy in the Modern World. This module will discuss qualities of a 'good' diplomat.

WEEK 4
Diplomacy in Action
Welcome to the fourth week of Global Diplomacy: Diplomacy in the Modern World. This module will explore where we see diplomacy in action.

WEEK 5
Reflections on Diplomacy
Welcome to the final week of Global Diplomacy: Diplomacy in the Modern World. In this module we reflect on what we have learnt about diplomacy. This extra challenge exercise will add to your understanding.

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Introduction to the Nonprofit Sector, Nonprofit Organizations, Nonprofit Leadership and Governance (Coursera) Coursera
The State University of New York

Introduction to the Nonprofit Sector, Nonprofit Organizations, Nonprofit Leadership and Governance (Coursera)

This course introduces you to the nonprofit sector, nonprofit organizations, and the concepts of leadership and governance. While this course has been developed with North American culture in mind, we do appreciate that in other parts of the world the nature of the nonprofit sector, nonprofit organizations, nonprofit leadership and governance may not be the same. Nevertheless, it is our hope that much of the course content will still be of value to those in other parts of the world.

Aug 17th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Using Public Policy for Social Change (Coursera) Coursera
University of Michigan

Using Public Policy for Social Change (Coursera)

Using Public Policy for Social Change provides a comprehensive introduction to public policy and its role in addressing societal challenges, with a focus on social inequalities. You’ll explore various areas of policy work, including social welfare, public health, the environment, education, and criminal justice. Learn the fundamentals of public policy design and analysis, and how policymaking functions across all levels of government in democracies worldwide.

Aug 17th 2026
4 Weeks
Water Cooperation and Diplomacy (Coursera) Coursera
University of Geneva

Water Cooperation and Diplomacy (Coursera)

If you are a student, a professional, an academic, or policy/decision maker involved in water cooperation and diplomacy, this MOOC is addressed to you. It enhances your scientific knowledge and capacities to engage in water cooperation and diplomacy processes; it also gives you ammunition to contribute to the public debate and discourses on shared waters. Finally, it connects you with other professionals, students, decision and policy makers as well as academics from around the world, and offers you opportunities to exchanges views, experiences and knowledge with them.

Aug 17th 2026
5-12 Weeks
ART of the MOOC: Arte Público y Pedagogía (Coursera) Coursera
Duke University,Creative Time

ART of the MOOC: Arte Público y Pedagogía (Coursera)

Los alumnos de este curso aprenderán a hacer sus propias obras de arte social y público si así lo desean, o podrán simplemente estudiar la teoría e historia reciente del medio. Diseñado por el artista y profesor de Duke, Pedro Lasch, e impartido con el director artístico de Creative Time, Nato Thompson, este curso presenta el arte y la cultura pública en sus formas contemporáneas radicalmente re-inventadas. Las conferencias enlazan acontecimientos claves de las últimas décadas en este campo con temas más amplios como la política espacial, estructuras sociales cotidianas y la educación experimental.

Aug 17th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Structuring Values in Modern China (Coursera) Coursera
The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Structuring Values in Modern China (Coursera)

This sequence of four courses will propose a multi-disciplinary approach to the study of Chinese cultural history conceived of as a succession of modes of rationality (philosophical, bureaucratic, and economic). The focus will be on the moments of paradigm shift from one mode of rationality to another. For each of these moments, cultural facts and artifacts—thought, literature, ritual—will be examined in relationship to changing social, political, and economic systems.

Aug 17th 2026
5-12 Weeks
William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night: Comedy, Conflict, and Community (Coursera) Coursera
University of Colorado Boulder

William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night: Comedy, Conflict, and Community (Coursera)

This course introduces and explores William Shakespeare’s classic comedy, Twelfth Night. Interviews with actors who appeared in the Colorado Shakespeare Festival’s 2019 production of Twelfth Night, as well as lectures by scholars and theater professionals who work and teach at the University of Colorado Boulder, offer students insight into Shakespeare’s artistic vision and its applications.

Aug 17th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Chinese Politics Part 2 - China and the World (Coursera) Coursera
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology - HKUST

Chinese Politics Part 2 - China and the World (Coursera)

One of the most significant changes in the world in the past 30 years is the opening of China to the outside world and its engagement with that world. In the initial years of the opening, external forces influenced China’s economy, regional balances, bureaucracy, as well as the political authority of local leaders in the coastal areas.

Aug 17th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Søren Kierkegaard - Subjectivity, Irony and the Crisis of Modernity (Coursera) Coursera
University of Copenhagen

Søren Kierkegaard - Subjectivity, Irony and the Crisis of Modernity (Coursera)

In this course created by former associate professor at the Søren Kierkegaard Research Centre, Jon Stewart, we will explore how Kierkegaard deals with the problems associated with relativism, the lack of meaning and the undermining of religious faith that are typical of modern life. His penetrating analyses are still highly relevant today and have been seen as insightful for the leading figures of Existentialism, Post-Structuralism and Post-Modernism.

Aug 17th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Music for Wellness (Coursera) Coursera
Berklee College of Music

Music for Wellness (Coursera)

You love music. You listen to music all the time. Maybe you sing, play an instrument, or compose music. You don’t need to have musical talent to use music to enhance your well being, and even your health. Learn simple techniques to enrich your mind, body, and spirit through music. The methods can be applied in your daily life, particularly when you are feeling down or stressed out.

Aug 17th 2026
4 Weeks
Arctic Economy (Coursera) Coursera
University of Alberta,UiT The Arctic University of Norway

Arctic Economy (Coursera)

Arctic communities have diverse histories and roles in local, regional and global economies. However, the scope and scale of globalization has increased so quickly that vulnerable Arctic communities are facing new kinds of challenges to their survival. In this 3-week MOOC, a unique collaboration between the University of Alberta and UiT The Arctic University of Norway, you will investigate the challenges faced by Indigenous, North American, Russian and Nordic Arctic communities in a modern world. So join us as we venture above the 60th parallel North, and explore how these fascinating communities adjust to change while maintaining their ways of life, socio-economic histories, and cultural traditions.

Aug 17th 2026
4 Weeks