COMS420-25S2 (C) Semester Two 2025

Public Diplomacy

30 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 14 July 2025
End Date: Sunday, 9 November 2025
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 27 July 2025
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 28 September 2025

Description

Public diplomacy relates to efforts by state and non-state actors to influence public opinion in other countries. With the growth of soft power and new media and information technologies, public diplomacy is of growing importance in international relations. This course reviews the emerging theoretical literature on public diplomacy and a number of case studies on how different states and multilateral organisations have used public diplomacy in recent years to improve their international image. This is not a distance course. This course includes group work and has a strongly practical focus -- cooperation with diplomats and international relations practitioners -- that requires active in-class engagement. This course teaches a number of the core skills that communicators working in the international context at home and abroad will need. It features diplomats and internationally-recognised leading experts of public diplomacy as our guest speakers.

Learning Outcomes

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attributes specified below:

Critically competent in a core academic discipline of their award

Students know and can critically evaluate and, where applicable, apply this knowledge to topics/issues within their majoring subject.

Employable, innovative and enterprising

Students will develop key skills and attributes sought by employers that can be used in a range of applications.

Biculturally competent and confident

Students will be aware of and understand the nature of biculturalism in Aotearoa New Zealand, and its relevance to their area of study and/or their degree.

Globally aware

Students will comprehend the influence of global conditions on their discipline and will be competent in engaging with global and multi-cultural contexts.

Prerequisites

Subject to approval of the Programme Coordinator.

Restrictions

DIPL430, POLS430

Timetable 2025

Students must attend one activity from each section.

Lecture A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Wednesday 14:00 - 17:00 Rehua 002 Lectorial
14 Jul - 24 Aug
8 Sep - 19 Oct

Course Coordinator

Natalia Chaban

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $2,169.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see Language, Social and Political Sciences .

All COMS420 Occurrences

  • COMS420-25S2 (C) Semester Two 2025