The School of International Studies’ Applied Workshops on Global Affairs

Humanitarian intervention in complex crises: The case of Ukraine

September 2022

Instructors

  • Marcelo Garcia Dalla Costa – Head of Emergency Unit, INTERSOS

  • Aleksandra Wiśniewska: INTERSOS Head of Mission in Ukraine, INTERSOS

Abstract of the Workshop

The WS’s goal is to give the students an in depth understanding of strategies, approaches and standard procedures, as well as best practices coming out from INTERSOS experience, about emergency intervention in complex humanitarian crises. Beyond the classification of humanitarian emergencies and the theoretical analysis of humanitarian intervention, the practical experience of the only “single mandate” Italian NGO will help students understand not only the general context and the main elements for a good response strategy but also the tools for implementation. The simulation based on real experience (Ukraine crisis) and working groups with a specific focus on humanitarian emergency responses to man-made and natural disasters (Indonesia, Ukraine) will facilitate the analysis of different methods and approaches to humanitarian intervention.

Conflict analysis in African complex societies

September 2022

Instructor

  • Sara de Simone – Post-doctoral research fellow, School of International Studies, University of Trento

Abstract of the Workshop

The workshop aims to introduce the students to the analysis of conflict in Africa, which has been the theatre of most of the bloodiest contemporary conflicts. After a brief introduction on the different kinds and historical roots of conflicts over the continent characterized by fragmented post-colonial society and weak state institutions, two practical tools for analysing conflict in complex societies will be introduced: the Onion Actors Analysis, a tool to perform a structured analysis of the actors involved in the conflict and their competing interests; and the Conflict Tree Analysis, a methodology to map the structural and contingent causes of conflicts. Following a theoretical presentation of the two tools, the students will be asked to work in groups and to apply the tools to the analysis of one particular case study: the current conflict in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. There will be two sessions of group-working, one for each tool, during which groups will be provided with readings on which to base their analysis. The work of the groups will be discussed during two plenary session, one after each group-working session.

Open-Source Intelligence Techniques & Digital Evidence: Spotting War Crimes in Ukraine

September 2022

Instructors

  • Leone Hadavi - Lead investigator, open-source investigator, analyst and trainer

  • Stefano Trevisan - Legal consultant, qualified lawyer and open-source investigator

Abstract of the Workshop

The Workshop will apply and discuss OSINT tools in the context of the war in Ukraine. According to reports, Russian army may have committed serious violations of international humanitarian law.
Social media has provided an unprecedented amount of information to document such misconducts. Hundreds of users of online platform such as Tik Tok, Twitter, and Facebook have been documenting the conflict by broadcasting on-the-ground realities of warfare. The flow of such user-generated video content is being subjected to forensic analysis by prosecutors and civil society groups, including Bellingcat and the Center for Information Resilience.
During the Workshop participants will learn how to identify and verify OSINT content thorough advanced investigative techniques, including manipulate social media search; use satellite image for geolocation; and weapon identification.

Career Support Program: How to Write a CV and Cover letter, and How to Prepare for an Interview

February 2023

Instructor

  • Soraya Johaar: More than a decade of experience working with the United Nations at Headquarters (New York), in the field (Kosovo) and with UNESCO (Paris).

Abstract of the Workshop

CV and Cover letter are the first introduction to prospective employers. In this workshop students will discover how best to prepare these documents.  Therefore, we start with the importance of analysing a vacancy.  Students will also learn how to prepare and practice for the interview process that will allow them to effectively communicate their skills and competencies.  In addition, they will have the opportunity to have an expert review and feedback on their CV and cover letter. The sessions will consist of presentations, simulations and practical activities.

Story-telling and International Relations: The Chronicle and The Analysis Process in Devising a Radio Program

February 2023

Instructor

  • Giampaolo Musumeci: Author and host of the foreign affairs radio program ‘Nessun luogo è lontano’ on Radio24 - Il Sole24Ore

Abstract of the Workshop

The workshop deals with the role of story-telling in geopolitics and the study of international relations. Students will learn how to combine news and stories with a wider point of view on the world. The workshop will give them a deep insight in the newsroom of a radio program on foreign affairs.
In the morning, students will join the team and participate in the brain storming we daily carry on in order to prepare the live show. How do we decide the specific topics every day? How do we select among hundreds of news all around the world, the stories we want to tell our audience? And, which is the best way to communicate complex situations such as the war in Ukraine, US and China tensions on Taiwan, the jihad in Sahel, and so on? Again, how should one choose guests, correspondents, sounds and music?
After the workshop, the students will listen to the radio program, so they will fully understand the entire process of making a daily radio program on foreign affairs and they will be aware of the result.

Learning Policy Advice

February 2023

Instructor

  • Giulio Venneri: European Commission, Bruxelles - Team leader for ‘Rule of Law and Democracy’ in the Directorate General for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR)

Abstract of the Workshop

The Learning Policy Advice module is an intensive practical lab on policy writing techniques. It offers both theoretical and vocational training, as well as individual and collective simulations based on concrete office-like scenarios. It has specifically been designed to help students deepen their knowledge on both political and operational issues in the fields of international relations, diplomacy, international organisations, EU external relations, crisis management, and multilateral affairs, as well as to get acquainted with office dynamics characterising policy jobs in international relations and EU external affairs.