CITIZEN DIPLOMACY IN THE AGE OF AI: RETHINKING INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS EDUCATION
Öz
In an era of accelerating digitalization and artificial intelligence, diplomacy is no longer the exclusive domain of professional state actors; it is increasingly shaped by individual representational practices on digital platforms. The mass layoffs at the U.S. State Department in 2025 made visible both the loss of institutional memory and the need for new modes of representation. This study reconceptualizes international relations education in light of this transformation and proposes an AI-supported pedagogical model for citizen diplomacy. Adopting a conceptual research design, it develops a literature-based model by synthesizing scholarship on diplomacy, digital diplomacy, experiential learning, social constructivism, transformative learning, and AI-supported education. The study introduces the Reflective Citizen Diplomacy Model (RCDM), comprising four phases: Encounter, Interaction, Representation, and Reflection. AI is positioned not as a passive information source, but as a dynamic learning environment that supports interaction, scenario generation, feedback, and reflection. The study argues that competencies such as diplomatic language, crisis management, digital media literacy, and strategic empathy can be cultivated more systematically at the undergraduate level.
Anahtar Kelimeler
Citizen Diplomacy, AI-Supported Learning, International Relations Education, Digital Diplomacy, Experiential Learning
Kaynakça
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