The “Applied Workshops on Global Affairs” aim at bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical skills. The Workshops introduce students to specific problems of international relations, European affairs and policies, and international security by adopting a practical approach and innovative teaching methods. Students are involved in simulations, debates, role-play, etc., by qualified instructors with direct knowledge in the relevant field.
Workshops take place each year in September and February, before the kick-off of the courses, and are open to a limited number of students (maximum 20-25), who would like to gain specific skills and experience, under the guidance of qualified practitioners, concerning the management and resolution of practical cases.
SAWGA Workshops are reserved to SIS students: only in the event of vacancies, Master's Degrees students from other UniTrento Departments and 3°-4°-5° year students from UniTrento Faculty of Law may be considered eligible to attend the Workshops.
February 2025 Edition
Workshops are scheduled according to the following timetable:
Digital Technologies in Humanitarian Action
Instructor
- Andrea Düchting - Independent consultant and Research Associate at the Centre for Humanitarian Action (CHA)
Short bio
Andrea Düchting is an independent consultant and research associate at the Berlin-based think tank Centre for Humanitarian Action. She has around 15 years of experience working in the humanitarian system intersecting with development, migration and peacebuilding approaches. She worked with UN Agencies, the Red Cross Movement, international and national NGOs at global and local level. Andrea nowadays specialises on topics related to digital transformation of humanitarian action by looking at digital accountability and the operationalisation of data protection and digital rights in humanitarian assistance. She published several papers and blogs on this matter.
In the past, Andrea worked as a partnerships officer in charge of onboarding new partners onto digital platforms. She also managed and coordinated integrated food security and nutrition programmes in the Sahel Region and South Asia. Andrea is a geographer by profession and holds a M.A. in Peace and Conflict Studies from the Philipps-University of Marburg.
Abstract of the Workshop
Today, humanitarian action is increasingly digital and increasingly complex in nature. Digital technologies are used in many different ways and for various purposes: To improve supply change processes, communicate with peers and affected populations or optimise humanitarian assistance. Mobile phones and tablets have long since replaced paper-based surveys, satellite-based geoinformation is used for disaster preparedness and early warning systems, not to speak about digital identities and mobile money providing people with humanitarian cash assistance. This expansion of technologies is massive and brings with it an exponential increase in the volume of data to be processed, an acceleration of speed at which information travels, and a huge responsibility of humanitarian actors to handle technology and data in a responsive and ethical manner.
The workshop will introduce the role of digital technologies in the humanitarian system by providing an overview of different use cases, mapping out key actors and their ways of working, alongside relevant frameworks and accountability mechanisms. We’ll review practical examples and scenarios from humanitarian cash and voucher assistance (CVA) and community engagement and accountability (CEA) approaches to discuss opportunities and risks of using digital technologies in humanitarian action. Participants will develop strategies how to ensure the responsible use of technologies in protracted crises and fragile contexts including but not limited to the design of inclusive humanitarian operations, digital rights in conflict settings, and the operationalisation of data protection with local actors. The workshop will provide insights and hands-on experience to better understand the digital humanitarian ecosystem and digital dilemmas. By the end of the workshop, participants know about the level of digital transformation in the humanitarian system and are knowledgeable about responsible approaches to use technologies in volatile contexts and on vulnerable people.
Calendar
- Monday, 17 of February, 14:00 - 17:00, Room Laboratorio multimediale 2, Palazzo Prodi
- Tuesday, 18 of February, 14:00-17:00, Room 001, Palazzo Prodi
Advocacy tools and strategies to safeguard media freedom in Europe
Instructor
- Serena Epis - Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa
Short bio
Serena Epis holds a master’s degree in European and International Studies from the University of Trento. She joined OBC Transeuropa in June 2021 as a researcher and advocacy officer. Her work has focused on research, training, advocacy, and project management in areas such as media freedom, the rule of law, civic engagement, and the EU's enlargement toward the Western Balkans.
Abstract of the Workshop
The workshop is designed to introduce students to the fundamentals of advocacy in the non-profit sector. Participants will participate in hands-on exercises focusing on public advocacy directed at institutions in EU member states, candidate countries, and the EU itself.
The workshop will focus particularly on the work of NGOs committed to safeguarding media freedom. A cornerstone of democratic societies, free and independent journalism guarantees citizens the fundamental right to be informed on matters of public interest. Students will learn about key developments in the Italian and European media landscape, focusing on recent EU tools designed to tackle key challenges to media freedom and pluralism. They will also explore how civic coalitions can leverage these tools for advocacy initiatives.
Working on recent cases of international advocacy for the protection of media freedom in Italy, the workshop will showcase tools for tracking and monitoring press freedom violations and highlight advocacy strategies tailored to engage diverse stakeholders, depending on specific objectives. Students will actively participate in activities designed to help them familiarise themselves with the tools and strategies discussed, including context analysis, stakeholder mapping, and the production of advocacy materials such as statements, letters, press releases, and communication campaigns.
This workshop has been designed in the context of the Jean Monnet Module EU-Prox - Innovating European Studies: Geopolitics and Sustainability of Enlargement.
Calendar
- Monday, 17 of February, 14:00 - 17:00, School of Innovation (SOI)
- Tuesday, 18 of February, 14:00-18:00, School of Innovation (SOI)
PODCAST: Elements of design and production.
Instructor
- Emanuele Lapiana – oSuonoMio
Short bio
Entrepreneur and Sound Artist, Emanuele Lapiana has always been involved in sound and communication. After several musical adventures in the pop music field, he worked in the international large-scale distribution sector. In 2014 he founded oSuonoMio, one of the first Italian sound communication agencies and podcast production house. He has produced several Podcasts, some of which have earned nominations for the Italian podcast awards (ilPod). He is the creator of Sete Festival, the sonic themed park named FRUSCIO, the SENSO card game and much more.
Abstract of the Workshop
Podcasts have become increasingly one of the principal modes of communicating research and policy. This workshop aims to help students develop practical skills related to the successful design and production of a podcast. The workshop is structured to provide a step-by-step guide on how to prepare a podcast. This includes how to write the script, how to select the soundtrack, how to play with soundscapes and audio separators, how to include graphic elements, as well as questions of distribution and promotion to effectively reach an audience.
Calendar
- Wednesday, 19 of February, 9:00-12:00, room 114, Palazzo Prodi
- Thursday, 20 of February, 10:00-13:00, room 114, Palazzo Prodi
Application (deadline: Feb 3rd, 2025)
Each workshop is limited to 25 participants, and registration is mandatory. Applications will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis. If we receive a high number of applications, we will prioritize each student's participation in at least one workshop.
Please note that, as registration is open to a limited number of students, joining the workshops implies the assumption of a commitment to participate. Acceptable justifications for absence only include illness or other compelling reasons. Please note that participation in workshops does not constitute a valid excuse for absence in other teaching activities. Students engaged in simultaneous and incompatible teaching activities (e.g. crash courses, compulsory language courses) are requested not to attend the workshops.
Participation in each workshop will allow SIS students to gain one virtual micro-credential for each workshop (further information available on that webpage).
September 2024 Edition
Workshops are scheduled according to the following timetable:
Law and Practice of International Investigations into Corporate Complicity in Atrocity Crimes
Instructor
- Irene Gasparini (Ph.D) – Financial Investigator, United Nations (UNOG)
Short bio
Irene Gasparini is a Financial Investigator with the United Nations in Geneva, where she
conducts investigations mandated by the UN Human Rights Council into genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and other gross violations of human rights, focusing particularly on the complicity of corporate actors.
Previously, Irene worked as a white-collar crime lawyer at DLA Piper with a core practice
in investigations on financial crimes. She was a financial sanctions consultant to a major oil & gas company and gained professional experience at the International Criminal Court and in counter-terrorism investigations in Italy. She holds a Ph.D. in International Criminal Law from the Catholic University of Milan and regularly provides training on international crimes and investigations.
Abstract of the Workshop
International investigations into war crimes are pivotal for ensuring justice and accountability worldwide. They play a key role in holding perpetrators accountable and ensuring justice for victims of gross human rights violations. Today, national and international courts increasingly witness cases involving corporate actors investigated and held accountable for their complicity in serious international crimes. This workshop offers an interactive and practical opportunity to explore the role of corporate complicity in atrocities and learn about the law and practice of international investigations for such crimes. The workshop will begin by introducing participants to the issue of corporate complicity in war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and other gross human rights violations. Through a review of relevant cases before international and national courts, participants will gain an understanding of the international legal framework, the case law, the practice and key issues of investigating the involvement of corporate actors in serious international crimes. The landscape of various international investigative and accountability mechanisms will also be explored in order to provide an understanding of key institutions and actors involved in the international fight against impunity for mass atrocities. The workshop will then provide a hands-on, practical understanding of the work of an international investigator in a fictitious scenario of serious international crimes. Using an interactive approach, the instructor will guide participants through the analysis of the scenario and the necessary investigative steps. This session will delve into the technical, strategic and practical aspects of conducting international investigations in a practical setting. Participants will be introduced to essential techniques used in international investigations, including evidence gathering from various sources and witnesses.
Calendar
- Monday, 16th of September, 15:00-18:00
- Tuesday, 17th of September, 15:00-18:00
Structured Analysis of On-line Contents for Policy Analysis and Consulting
Instructor
- Giorgio Comai - Senior Researcher and Data Analyst, Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa/Centro per la Cooperazione Internazionale (OBCT/CCI)
Short bio
Giorgio Comai is a senior researcher and data analyst based at OBCT/CCI (Trentino, Italy), with a research focus on post-Soviet affairs and an established record of academic publications. He has been visiting Russia and other post-Soviet countries since 2000, and he speaks fluently Russian and Romanian. He earned his PhD at Dublin City University’s School of Law and Government.
As a data analyst and advanced R programmer, he has been crunching data and building tools for the European Data Journalism Network (EDJNet). As a data analyst, data visualization, and area expert, he has worked as an external consultant, including for Crisis Group. In recent years, he has increasingly been working on structured approaches for analysing online sources in conflict and area studies, data collection methods, and related ethical issues. Website: https://giorgiocomai.eu/ - Ongoing project: https://tadadit.xyz/.
Abstract of the Workshop
On-line contents have become one of the main sources of information for researchers and analysts across disciplines. Yet, they are often explored serendipitously. This workshop outlines various approaches for the structured analysis of on-line contents, focusing on cases relevant to those working on international relations, peace and conflict studies, and policy analysis. Particular attention will be dedicated to text mining and text-as-data methods, considering not only materials originally published as text on websites but also other sources such as YouTube and Telegram channels. Techniques to enrich these data (e.g. through geocomputation or matching text to identifiers in external repositories such as Wikidata) will also be outlined. No matter if the task is to find the needle or to characterise the haystack (i.e. to find a specific piece of information or to highlight broad trends), it is then important to turn the results into visuals or give them a shape that can be used effectively for further analysis. Context is important. Sometimes, extreme simplification is necessary to convey a message to the wider public or to include a graph in an executive summary. In other occasions, our target audience expects to be able to have a deeper understanding of the data and its processing, and perhaps be able to explore it further. Sharing pre-processed data in meaningful formats is often important when doing consultancies, in collaborative journalistic investigations, or when conducting scholarly work, both within a research team and through public-facing outputs such as blog posts or accompanying materials to publications. The workshop will present these techniques through practical examples. Even if many of these require at least basic programming skills, the focus will not be on the technicalities, but rather on the ways in which such approaches can be useful for research and analysis. Hands-on session will focus on services available through web interfaces and will not require advanced skills.
Calendar
- Tuesday, 17th of September, 9:30-12:30
- Wednesday, 18th of September, 15:00-18:00
Policy Skills Lab
Instructors
- Giulio Venneri - Team leader for ‘Rule of Law and Democracy’ in the Directorate General for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR), European Commission, Bruxelles
- Federico Bonadonna - Administrative Agent for 'Rule of Law and Democracy' in the Directorate General for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR), European Commission, Bruxelles
Short bio
Dr Giulio Venneri is the team leader for rule of law and democracy in the Directorate General for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, at the European Commission. Previously, he served as team leader for relations with Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was also the Permanent Secretary of the International Monitoring Operation (IMO), deployed by the European Commission to oversee the vetting of magistrates in Albania. Amongst his previous roles at the Commission, he was coordinator for rule of law and security sector reform in the Enlargement process, the visa liberalisation dialogue, and demining. Prior to joining the European civil service, he worked at the "Global Issues” unit of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Active in academia, he is adjunct professor at the School of Government of LUISS Guido Carli University in Rome. He coordinates the policy lab at the Diplomacy and Global Politics programme of the University of Westminster in London. His latest publication includes the volume on “The European Union’s Engagement with the Southern Mediterranean: Integrating the European Neighbourhood Policy”.
Mr Federico Bonadonna is an administrative agent working at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels. He is currently serving in the Directorate General for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations. He holds a BA in Comparative, European and International Legal Studies from the University of Trento, as well as an MA in EU Diplomacy from LUISS University in Rome and the Centre International de Formation Européenne in Nice.
Abstract of the Workshop
The intensive practical lab on policy writing techniques offers both theoretical and vocational training, as well as individual simulations based on concrete office-like scenarios. It has been designed to help students deepen their knowledge on both political and operational issues in the fields of diplomacy, international organisations, EU external relations, crisis management, and multilateral processes, as well as to get acquainted with the office dynamics of policy jobs in international affairs. Amongst other skills, students will get acquainted with the main aspects of political analysis and reporting; develop effective drafting techniques for policy advice; be introduced to the policy advisor’s mind-set; learn practical methods to elaborate briefing notesin support of diplomatic engagement; acquire abilities for the preparation of outreach documents, including speeches and press statements; develop awareness of institutional communication practices and public outreach; become familiar with key features ofspin-doctoring in international politics. At the practical simulations, students willbe confronted with different mock situations, including a politically sensitive scenario, presented with limited information, for the most controversial froma legal perspective; a complex crisis, explained with media reports, field offices analyses and advice, instructions from different sources; an inter-institutional dialogue scenario, which will have to be carefully reviewed for the preparation of outreach documents and the design of a political communication strategy. In addition to getting students more familiar with the daily work and challenges encountered by policy officers serving at the headquarter of an international organisation, at a foreign ministry, or in field offices and bilateral embassies, the training offers key skills that are relevant to mainstream selection procedures currently applied by most international institutions (i.e., Council of Europe, European Union, NATO, OSCE, United Nations offices, etc...) for entry level jobs or mid-management posts.
Calendar
- Thursday, 19th of September, 9:00-12:30 and 14:00-17:00
- Friday, 20th of September, 9:00-12:30
Application (deadline: July 26th 2024)
Each workshop is open to max 25 students: registration is mandatory. Applications will be processed on a first-come-first-served basis.
Please note that, as registration is open to a limited number of students, joining the workshops implies the assumption of a commitment to participate. Acceptable justifications for absence only include illness or other compelling reasons. Please note that participation in workshops does not constitute a valid excuse for absence in other teaching activities. Students engaged in simultaneous and incompatible teaching activities (e.g. crash courses, compulsory language courses) are requested not to attend the workshops.
Participation in each workshop will allow SIS students to gain one virtual micro-credential for each workshop (further information available at https://education.ec.europa.eu/education-levels/higher-education/micro-credentials).