Florida International University is a partner university of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomacy Lab. Diplomacy Lab is a Department of State (DoS) initiative that leverages university students and faculty experts to conduct open-source research on foreign policy challenges pertinent to bureaus across DoS. Launched in 2013, Diplomacy Lab underscores Secretary of State Kerry’s commitment to engage the American people in the work of the State Department and broaden the Department’s research base in response to a proliferation of complex global challenges.
The mission of Diplomacy Lab to “course-source” research and innovation through colleges and universities across the United States was founded on two pillars. Engagement and Education. By engaging with USG public diplomacy practitioners, students participate and explore real-world challenges while allowing policymakers to tap into an underutilized reservoir of intellectual capacity.
As a partner university, FIU conducts research around various topics presented by the State Department in areas including counterterrorism, democracy and human rights, disinformation campaigns, climate change, global health, and energy security. Student teams are recruited to undertake the Diplomacy Lab projects. Over the course of the semester, faculty members and subject matter experts guide the students in developing a final work product that achieves the goals outlined by the Department. Students have opportunities throughout the semester to engage and discuss their research with State Department officials.
Comparative Study on Smuggling and Trafficking Laws in the Western Hemisphere
Read one of our recent publications on smuggling and trafficking laws in the Western Hemisphere. Report was written by Nicole Hernandez, Emelie Jimenez, Amelia Raudales, Sebastian Quintana, and Natalia Sanchez.
Past Team Projects:
Building U.S. Capacity to Fight Disinformation on the Digital Battleground
By: Moon Medina, Barbara Fernandez, Maximo Ulloa, & Zue Lopez
Exploring the Downsides of Cryptocurrencies in Developing Countries
By: Eitan Casaverde, Henry Allen, Kathleen Obrer, Cesar Muir, & Nicolas Denis
The Challenges Foreign Fighters Present to the Security of States in North Africa and the Sahel
By: Tatiana Arevalo, Mia Cleary, Jennifer Rivera, Laerke Lorwa, & Sabrina Pecorelli