Joint Seminar on Cyberdiplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
ATHENS — In a landmark event for digital governance and international relations, the MA in Digital Transformation (Panteion University) and the Hellenic Diplomatic Academy (HDA) convened at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday, 27 February 2026. The joint seminar, titled “Cyberdiplomacy Initiatives & Global Governance,” marked the first official session held under the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two institutions.
A Unique Space for Dialogue
The seminar served as a high-level bridge between academic theory and diplomatic practice. By bringing together e-Diplomacy specialization students and future Embassy Attaché Candidates, the session created a unique environment for knowledge exchange.
Participants examined the complex landscape of cyberspace regulation, exploring how these digital domains are governed both within the United Nations framework and through external international initiatives.
Expert Insights on Digital Sovereignty
The session was led by Professor Nicholas Tsagourias of the School of Law, University of Sheffield. A renowned expert in international law, Prof. Tsagourias guided the cohort through critical contemporary issues, including:
State Sovereignty: How traditional boundaries are redefined in the digital domain.
Non-Intervention: The legal limits of state action in cyberspace.
Countermeasures: The legal frameworks governing responses to cyber threats.
Theory into Practice
True to the MA’s commitment to Adaptive Learning, the seminar concluded with an interactive workshop. Participants were divided into mixed groups of students and attaché candidates to apply legal principles to a variety of real-world scenarios.
Discussions delved into the realities of electoral interference and ransomware attacks, forcing participants to grapple with how international law applies to modern, non-kinetic warfare.
A Fruitful Partnership
The success of the event was made possible by the coordinated leadership of both institutions.
From Panteion University: MA Director Prof. Vassilis Hatzopoulos and e-Diplomacy Coordinator Assoc. Prof. Maria-Daniella Marouda.
From the HDA: Director Ambassador Michael Diamessis and Training Director Michael Angelopoulos.
As Ambassador Diamessis noted during the session, this seminar is only the beginning of a fruitful partnershipset to open new doors across multiple fields of international relations. Together, Panteion University and the Hellenic Diplomatic Academy are ensuring that Greece’s future diplomatic corps is digital-ready and strategically aligned with global shifts.