Masterclass with Jovan Kurbalija
Diplomacy and technology: A historical journey #5
Byzantine diplomacy: The elixir of longevity
Thursday, 27th May
12:00 UTC (08:00 EDT | 14:00 CEST | 20:00 CST)
Byzantine diplomacy was the key to this empire’s long survival. After the fall of Rome in 476, the Byzantine Empire tried to continue Rome's tradition and restore its glory, but without the power of the Roman Empire, it had to turn to diplomacy to a greater extent.
Find out more about how technology influenced the history of diplomacy
The radius of the Byzantine Empire required geographically broad diplomatic coverage – from China and India in the east, to the Atlantic Ocean in the west, and from the interior of Africa to the steppes of the Black Sea. Extending over this vast territory and surrounded by the hostile tribes of the Balkans, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, Byzantine diplomacy had to use sophisticated techniques to keep everything under control.
The Byzantine period was probably one of the most important periods in the history of diplomacy. It was the bridge between the diplomacy of the ancient era and modern diplomacy. The Byzantine Empire absorbed experiences and diplomatic practices from ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome, and passed them on to our time via Venice, and the Renaissance diplomacy of Italy.
Join us for a discussion on Byzantine diplomacy and its legacy in our Masterclass with Jovan Kurbalija: Byzantine diplomacy: The elixir of longevity, on Thursday, May 27th, at 14:00 CEST.
Our experts involved
Dr Jovan Kurbalija
Executive Director
Dr Jovan Kurbalija is the Executive Director of DiploFoundation and Head of the Geneva Internet Platform (GIP). He was a member of the UN Working Group on Internet Governance (2004‒2005), special advisor to the Chairman of the UN Internet Governance Forum (2006‒2010), and a member of the High Level Multistakeholder Committee for NETmundial (2013‒2014). In 2018-2019, he served as co-Executive Director of the Secretariat of the United Nations (UN) High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation.
A former diplomat, Jovan has a professional and academic background in international law, diplomacy, and information technology. He has been a pioneer in the field of cyber diplomacy since 1992 when he established the Unit for Information Technology and Diplomacy at the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies in Malta, and later, DiploFoundation.
Since 1997, Jovan’s research and articles on cyber diplomacy have shaped research and policy discussion on the impact of the Internet on diplomacy and international relations. His book, An Introduction to Internet Governance, has been translated into 9 languages and is used as a textbook for academic courses worldwide. He lectures on e-diplomacy and Internet governance in academic and training institutions in many countries, including Austria (Diplomatic Academy of Vienna), Belgium (College of Europe), Switzerland (University of St Gallen), Malta (University of Malta), and the United States (University of Southern California).
His publishes regular articles on DiploFoundation's blog, and the Huffington Post.