<< Background >>Digital diplomacy is the use of new information communication technologies (ICT), internet and social media to help to achieve diplomatic goals, strengthening diplomatic relations and solving foreign policy issues. New trends in digitalization and digital communication technologies have revolutionized the nature of diplomacy by transforming the communication medium in which traditional diplomacy was conducted. In today’s world, it is a necessity for governments to adapt their understanding of diplomacy to ‘the digital’.Digital diplomacy should not only be considered as the digitalization of diplomatic tools but also it should be understood as the change of a different perspective on diplomacy concerning its focal points namely; digitalization of the political sphere and cybersecurity. This fundamental change in practices, dimensions, and procedures of diplomacy should not be neglected by the states particularly those that aim to empower their soft power instruments and embrace a pro-active diplomatic perspective. The empirical studies in the field illustrate that even though several states, one way or another, have realized the importance and the potential of digital diplomacy, just a limited number of states have been able to undergo the necessary digital transformation (Manor, 2016). Therefore, globally speaking, diplomacy remains to be conventional and state-centric, however, some farsighted states have been trying to make necessary changes. As COVID-19 Pandemic demonstrated several times, for states, being in need of digital diplomacy tends to change to being obliged to consider digital diplomacy. How will states respond to all these technological changes? Which strategies should be developed based on new technologies for more effective diplomacy? How the social and political dynamics in different levels; local/national/regional/international have been effected by digitalization? How can we address the (mis)use of digital tools and social media in diplomatic networking? These questions cry out for the answers in order to generate a global common view via technological response and solutions.In this regard, students as future leaders/policy-makers/stake-holders who will be suffered by the global problems inevitably, need to learn digital diplomacy tools to enhance their digital and communication skills with an innovative approach. Teaching digital diplomacy, we aim to provide students to develop their abilities to identify and analyze the key problems and risks of digitalization, cyberspace, artificial intelligence, internet governance and how diplomatic mindsets and techniques can be applied to managing them.<< Objectives >>The main objective of DD-Tech is to develop a “Digital Diplomacy Module” that enables our students to develop skills to carry out digital diplomacy culture, apply it in innovation processes and improve their technological response/solutions capacities. This project aims to develop a digital-based common curriculum among European countries within the scope of Digital Diplomacy course for future-based education model, the use of digital education and communication tools, training of “future diplomats” who can comprehend the global trends, to create joint projects, to increase collective design capabilities, to promote a culture of collaboration. We will not only teach our students methods and tools on how to enhance their digital skills but also teach them how to apply those in practice enabling ‘learning by doing’.The specific objectives are: 1) preparing students for higher education and adopting ICT technologies to the learning applications 2) creating an interactive content that will enable curriculum updates to be developed with constantly developing new technologies 3) development of network-based learning applications (e-case study, e-project management) to adopt new technologies to higher education 4) discovery of common cooperation opportunities in different fields 5) establishing a program with accessible features such as disabled access, physical barriers removed.With digital diplomacy teaching, we aim to provide students to develop their abilities to identify and analyze the key problems & opportunities of digitalization, cyberspace, internet governance and how a diplomatic mindset can be applied to managing them. We will not only teach our students methods and tools on how to enhance their digital skills but also teach them how to apply those in practice enabling ‘learning by doing’.<< Implementation >>The DD-Tech project includes the following project activities:- 4 Intellectual Outputs (Digital Diplomacy Module Development, Teacher Manual, Digital Platform – MOOC, Monitoring Instrument) - 2 Multiplier Events (Mid-way conference and closing event)- 3 Learning/Teaching Activities (2 Pilot intensive programme for students, 1 teacher training programme)In particular, this project will carry out the following activities:- Functionalizing the concept of ‘Digital Diplomacy Culture’ through intensive programmes- Developing a teaching module on digital diplomacy- Teaching the teachers to apply for digital diplomacy courses- Preparing a Teacher’s manual as a guideline to encourage teachers to become inclusive practitioners- Establishing a digital Platform (MOOC) for sharing the DD-Tech materials- Developing a monitoring instrument for ‘digital competences’ of students who takes the coursesIn this project, we use the methodologies of Design-oriented thinking, Digital mentorship and innovative tools like e-case study and e-project management. The design-oriented thinking methodology can be described with the 5-step model put forward by Hasso Plattner from Stanford d.school. In the 1st stage, empathy is established with the users.In the 2nd stage, needs, problems and insights are defined. In the 3rd stage, ideas that will create innovative solutions are put forward, and creative solutions are found and designed without being attached to assumptions and constraints. In the 4th stage, prototyping is done. It is aimed to make the solutions simple, fast and low-cost prototypes. The solutions selected in the 5th and final stage are tested. A repetitive path is followed throughout the process, linear flow monitoring is not mandatory.The digital mentoring system will be developed during the implementation of the module. On this system, professionals, ambassadors, academics and experts in digital technologies in partner countries will meet with students. The system will be supported via MOOC and will make a contribution to the transfer of experiences, encourage participation in the module, follow current problems and provide interactive/collaborative learning. The participation of mentors and students in the system will be monitored and their results will be reported. The impacts of DD-Tech are that we trained students who are keen on developing their digital competences connected with sustainable and technological response/solutions. Being future diplomats/decision-makers, they will have a noteworthy impact on shaping the digital future. Besides, the HEIs will contemplate how to use the insights of digitalization in their curricula.<< Results >>The main results are adopting new technologies to higher education; creating interactive/innovative course content that will enable curriculum updates to be developed with new technologies and applications; producing fast, common and sustainable solutions to social, political, economic problems.It is aimed to achieve the following results in the light of the above-mentioned objectives and project activities:1- From Digital Diplomacy to Data Diplomacy (New Trend) 2- Producing fast, common and sustainable solutions to social, political and economic problems 3- Contribution to the relations between countries4- Creating interactive content that will enable curriculum updates to be developed with constantly developing new technologies and applications.5- Preparing students for higher education and adopting ICT technologies and learning applications6- Adapting new technologies to higher education7- Developing network-based learning applications: e-case study, e-project management8- Creating a program with accessible features (disabled access, physical barriers removed)9- Digital mentoring: Ambassadors will convey their experiences to students over a platform, and watch their progress With all these experiences and background from the project processes, the consequent impacts will be derived from the achievement of the project:1- Using the power of (e-)learning together2- Developing skills to produce common technological solutions to common global problems3- Encouraging interaction between cultures4- Being able to produce common solutions to different problems5- Using (e-)resources and knowledge for a common project purpose6- Creating a collaborative environment for future projects