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Corneliu Bjola
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Prof Corneliu Bjola

Associate Professor of Diplomatic Studies

Corneliu Bjola received his PhD in Political Science from the University of Toronto (2007) and previously taught and conducted research at McMaster University and the University of Toronto. He was a research fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and a Visiting Fellow at the Australian Defense Force Academy (2012) and China Foreign Affairs University (2016). 

His current research interests relate to the impact of digital technology on the conduct of diplomacy with a focus on strategic communication and digital influence as well as on theories and methods for countering disinformation and propaganda. 

He has authored or edited six books, including the twin volumes on Countering Online Propaganda and Violent Extremism: The Dark Side of Digital Diplomacy (2018) – listed in the 20 Best New International Relations Books To Read In 2019 -  and Digital Diplomacy: Theory and Practice (2015). His work has been published in the European Journal of International Relations, Review of International Studies, Ethics and International Affairs, International Negotiation, Cambridge Review of International Affairs, Global Policy, Journal of Global Ethics and the Hague Journal of Diplomacy.

Bjola is co-editor of the book series on 'New Diplomatic Studies' with Routledge, and Editor-in-Chief of the new journal Diplomacy and Foreign Policy. He is the recipient of the 2014 OxTALENT award for enhancing students' learning experience using social media apps awarded by the Oxford Committee on Teaching and Learning Enhanced with Technology.

Research
Teaching & Supervision
Publications
News
In the media
Advising on the use of digital diplomacy
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Oxford Digital Diplomacy Research Group
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Corneliu Bjola teaches on the Foundation Course on Global Governance and Diplomacy for the MSc in Global Governance and Diplomacy, as well as offering options on Diplomatic Management of International Crises and Diplomacy and International Law.

Doctoral supervision

Professor Bjola provides doctoral supervision on topics related to the impact of digital technology on the conduct of diplomacy with a focus on public diplomacy, diaspora engagement, crisis communication, as well as on theories and methods of digital strategic communication for countering disinformation and propaganda.

Research Students supervised

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Sabrina Brandt
Research Student
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Francesca Liberatore Vaselli
Research Student

Books and monographs
Bjola, Corneliu (with Ruben Zaiotti) (eds) (2020) 'Digital Diplomacy and International Organisations: Autonomy, Legitimacy and Contestation', Routledge
Bjola, Corneliu (with James Pamment) (eds) (2018) 'Countering Online Propaganda and Extremism: The Dark Side of Digital Diplomacy', Routledge
Bjola, Corneliu (with Markus Kornprobst) (2018) 'Understanding International Diplomacy: Theory, Practice and Ethics (2nd ed)', Routledge
Bjola, Corneliu (with Stuart Murray) (eds) (2016) 'Secret Diplomacy: Concepts, Contexts and Cases', London: Routledge
Bjola, Corneliu (with Marcus Holmes) (eds) (2015) 'Digital Diplomacy: Theory and Practice', London and New York: Routledge
Bjola, Corneliu (with M Kornprobst) (2013) 'Understanding International Diplomacy: Theory, Practice and Ethics', London and New York: Routledge
Bjola, Corneliu (with M Kornprobst) (eds) (2010) 'Arguing Global Governance: Agency, Lifeworld, and Shared Reasoning', London and New York: Routledge
Bjola, Corneliu (2009) 'Legitimising the Use of Force in International Politics: Kosovo, Iraq and the Ethics of Intervention', London and New York: Routledge (Monograph)

Journal articles and special issues
Bjola, Corneliu (with Ilan Manor) (2022) 'The rise of hybrid diplomacy: from digital adaptation to digital adoption', International Affairs 98 (2) 471–91
Bjola, Corneliu (with Michaela Coplen) (2022) 'Virtual Venues and International Negotiations: Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic', International Negotiation
Bjola, Corneliu (2021) 'Digital diplomacy as world disclosure: the case of the COVID-19 pandemic', Place Branding and Public Diplomacy
Bjola, Corneliu (2021) 'AI for Development: Implications for Theory and Practice', Oxford Development Studies
Bjola, Corneliu (with SL Vériter and JA Koops) (2020) 'Tackling COVID-19 Disinformation: Internal and External Challenges for the European Union', The Hague Journal of Diplomacy 15 (4) 569–82
Bjola, Corneliu (with Krysianna Papadakis) (2020) 'Digital propaganda, counterpublics and the disruption of the public sphere: the Finnish approach to building digital resilience', Cambridge Review of International Affairs
Bjola, Corneliu (with Jennifer Cassidy and Ilan Manor) (2019) 'Public Diplomacy in the Digital Age', The Hague Journal of Diplomacy 14 (1) 83-101
Bjola, Corneliu (with Yuanzhe Ren) (2019) 'Adapting Diplomacy to the Digital Age: Managing the Organisational Culture of Ministries of Foreign Affairs', Foreign Affairs Review (in Chinese) 1 1-27
Bjola, Corneliu (2018) 'Digital Diplomacy 2.0: Trends and Countertrends', Revista Mexicana de Política Exterior (in Spanish) 113 (July/August) 35-52
Bjola, Corneliu (with Ilan Manor) (2018) 'Revisiting Putnam’s Two-Level Game Theory in the Digital Age: Domestic Digital Diplomacy and the Iran Nuclear Deal', Cambridge Review of International Affairs 31 (1) 3-32
Bjola, Corneliu (2018) 'The Ethics of Countering Digital Propaganda', Ethics & International Affairs 32 (3) 305-15
Bjola, Corneliu (2016) 'Getting digital diplomacy right: What quantum theory can teach us about measuring impact?', C Bjola (ed) Forum on 'Digital Diplomacy: State of the Art' Global Affairs 2 (3)
Bjola, Corneliu (with J Pamment) (2016) 'Digital Containment: Revisting Containment Strategy in the Digital Age', Global Affairs 2 (2)
Bjola, Corneliu (2015) 'Diplomacy as World Disclosure: A Fractal Theory of Crisis Management', British Journal of Politics and International Relations
Bjola, Corneliu (2015) 'How to use Momentum Analysis to Explain and Forecast the Outcome of International Negotiations?', International Negotiation 20 (2) 319-49
Bjola, Corneliu (2014) 'Negotiation Breakthrough Analysis: The Case of Climate Negotiations', International Negotiation 19 (1) 127-53
Bjola, Corneliu (2014) 'Understanding Enmity and Friendship in World Politics: The Case for a Diplomatic Approach', The Hague Journal of Diplomacy 8 (1) 1-20
Bjola, Corneliu (2014) 'Diplomatic Leadership in Times of International Crisis: The Maverick, the Congregator and the Pragmatist', Hague Journal of Diplomacy 10 (1)
Bjola, Corneliu (2013) 'The Ethics of Secret Diplomacy: A Contextual Approach', Journal of Global Ethics 10 (1) 85-100
Bjola, Corneliu (2013) 'Keeping the Arctic 'Cold': The Rise of Plurilateral Diplomacy?', Global Policy 4 (4) 347-58
Bjola, Corneliu (2008) 'Legitimacy and the Use of Force: Bridging the Legal-Moral Divide', Review of International Studies 34(4) 627-44
Bjola, Corneliu (with M Kornprobst) (2007) 'Understanding Dissonance in Security Communities: Germany and the United States on Iraq', Review of International Studies 33(2) 285-305
Bjola, Corneliu (2005) 'Legitimating the Use of Force in International Relations: A Communicative Action Perspective', European Journal of International Relations 11(2) 266-303

Chapters
Bjola, Corneliu (with Ilan Manor and Geraldine Asiwome Adiku) (2022) 'Diaspora Diplomacy in the Digital Age'. In Liam Kennedy (ed) Routledge Handbook of Diaspora Diplomacy , Routledge
Bjola, Corneliu (with Ilan Manor) (2022) 'Digital propaganda as Symbolic Convergence: The case of the Russian ads during the 2016 U.S. presidential elections'. In G Rawnsley, Y Ma and K Pothong (eds) Handbook of Political Propaganda , Edward Elgar
Bjola, Corneliu (2020) 'Coping with digital disinformation in multilateral contexts: The case of the UN Global Compact for Migration'. In C Bjola, R Zaiotti (eds) Digital Diplomacy and International Organizations: Autonomy, Legitimacy and Contestation , Routledge
Bjola, Corneliu (with J Cassidy, I Manor) (2019) 'Digital Public Diplomacy. Business As Usual or Paradigm Shift?'. In N Snow, N Cull (eds) Routledge Handbook of Public Diplomacy , Routledge
Bjola, Corneliu (2019) 'Propaganda as reflexive control: the digital dimension'. In Corneliu Bjola, James Pamment (eds) Countering Online Propaganda and Extremism: The Dark Side of Digital Diplomacy , Routledge
Bjola, Corneliu (2018) 'Morality and Diplomacy'. In Gordon Martel (ed) Encyclopedia of Diplomacy , Wiley-Blackwell
Bjola, Corneliu (2016) 'The Theory and Practice of Secret Diplomacy'. In Corneliu Bjola & Stuart Murray (eds) Secret Diplomacy: Concepts, Contexts and Cases , London and New York: Routledge
Bjola, Corneliu (2016) 'Diplomatic Ethics'. In C Constantinou, P Kerr and P Sharp (eds) SAGE Handbook of Diplomacy , SAGE
Bjola, Corneliu (2015) 'Digital Diplomacy as Change Management'. In C Bjola, M Holmes (eds) Digital Diplomacy: Theory and Practice , London and New York: Routledge
Bjola, Corneliu (with Lu Jiang) (2015) 'Social Media and Public Diplomacy: A Comparative Analysis of the Digital Diplomatic Strategies of the EU, US and Japan in China'. In C Bjola, M Holmes (eds) Digital Diplomacy: Theory and Practice , London and New York: Routledge
Bjola, Corneliu (2014) 'Global Governance'. In D Rowe (ed) Achieving Sustainability: Visions, Principles, and Practices , New York: Macmillan Reference USA
Bjola, Corneliu (with M Kornprobst) (2010) 'Introduction: The Argumentative Deontology of Global Governance'. In C Bjola, M Kornprobst (eds) Arguing Global Governance: Agency, Lifeworld, and Shared Reasoning pp 1-15 , London and New York: Routledge
Bjola, Corneliu (2010) 'The Power of the Public Sphere: (Anti)diplomacy and Crisis Management Within Security Communities'. In C Bjola, M Kornprobst (eds) Arguing Global Governance: Agency, Lifeworld, and Shared Reasoning pp 194-209 , London and New York: Routledge
Bjola, Corneliu (2005) 'European Integration and the Politics of Commitment: The Case of Romania'. In A Skuhra (ed) EU - Eastern Enlargement , Innsbruck: Studieverlag
Bjola, Corneliu (2004) 'Bringing Legitimacy Back in International Politics: The Use of Forced after the Cold War'. In A Howell (ed) Governance and Global (Dis)orders: Trends Transformations and Impasses , Toronto: York Centre for International Security Studies
Bjola, Corneliu (2001) 'Collective Identity, Irony, and European Integration'. In John Micgiel (ed) Democracy and Integration in an Enlarging Europe , New York: Institute for the Study of Europe at Columbia University

Working papers
Bjola, Corneliu (2022) 'Artificial Intelligence and Diplomatic Crisis Management: Addressing the ‘Fog of War’ Problem', DigDiploROx Working Paper No 6
Bjola, Corneliu (2021) 'The European Union’s Quest for Digital Sovereignty and its Implications for the Transatlantic Relationship', DigDiploROx Working Paper No 5
Bjola, Corneliu (2020) 'Combating Online Hate Speech and Anti-Semitism', DigDiploROx Working Paper No 4
Bjola, Corneliu (2018) 'Adapting Diplomacy to the Digital Age: Managing the Organisational Cultures of Ministries of Foreign Affairs', DigDiploROx Working Paper No 1
30 November, 2020
New book co-edited by Corneliu Bjola explores how IOs have adapted to social media
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30 November, 2020
New article co-authored by Corneliu Bjola examines EU approach to COVID disinformation
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21 December, 2018
New book co-edited by Corneliu Bjola explores use of digital technology for disinformation
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11 June, 2018
New article by Corneliu Bjola, Ilan Manor explores impact of digitalisation on ‘two-level game theory’ of international negotiations
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29 March, 2017
ODID's digital diplomacy researchers recognised in #SODD16 review
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02 December, 2016
ODID researchers co-host workshop on Twitter diplomacy at UN Office in Geneva
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01 November, 2016
New article by Corneliu Bjola examines how to measure impact of digital diplomacy
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06 April, 2016
Secret diplomacy - concepts, contexts and cases: new book co-edited by Corneliu Bjola
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07 April, 2015
New book: Digital Diplomacy Co-edited by Corneliu Bjola
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11 June, 2014
Corneliu Bjola Wins OxTALENT Award for Use of Social Media in Teaching
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Pages

10 Dec, 2021
'The art of diplomacy gets a tech makeover, looking beyond coffee and corridors to a post-pandemic world'. Corneliu Bjola is interviewed in an article for Microsoft news
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16 Feb, 2021
'Tech ambassadors are redefining diplomacy for the digital era'. Corneliu Bjola quoted in article for Tech Monitor
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04 Sep, 2020
'NATO's digital public diplomacy during the time of COVID-19 pandemic'. Corneliu Bjola and Ilan Manor write for TPQ
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27 Jul, 2020
'Digital diplomacy in the era of coronavirus pandemic'. Corneliu Bjola cited in article for The Guardian Nigeria covering Israeli-organised Digital Diplomacy Summit
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24 Jul, 2020
'The UK’s Huawei decision is emblematic of the new tech Cold War'. Corneliu Bjola quoted in New Statesman Tech
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02 Apr, 2020
'All’s quiet on the digital front'. Former DPhil student Dr Ilan Manor and Professor Cornelou Bjola authored a blog post examining how the COVID19 pandemic may reshape nations' images
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31 Mar, 2020
'Digital diplomacy in the time of the coronavirus pandemic'. Corneliu Bjola co-authored a post with former DPhil student Ilan Manor analysing how effectively ministries of foreign affairs are using social media during the pandemic
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14 Jan, 2020
'Can social media make sense of international crises?'. Corneliu Bjola writes for the Article
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15 Apr, 2019
'Nueva diplomacia: cómo son los embajadores 2.0'. Corneliu Bjola writes about diplomatic engagement online for Argentina's Noticias
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15 Jun, 2018
'If you overuse memes (like the Russian embassy in London) you risk further controversy'. Corneliu Bjola cited in article in The Hill
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Pages

Research interests:

Digital diplomacy; cultural diplomacy, secret/back-channel diplomacy; diplomatic crisis management; diplomatic ethics; negotiation breakthrough analysis; EU diplomacy.