Podcast 🎧 & blog: Back in Tallinn for the fifth Cyber Diplomacy Summer School

As the fifth Tallinn Cyber Diplomacy Summer School currently taking place in Tallinn, attendees reflect on a year of diplomacy in cybersecurity. Some of them, too, having gone from participants to speakers. The program, organised annually, is designed to bridge theoretical understanding and hands-on experience in cyber diplomacy, and for Claudio Peguero and Alban Andreu, the Summer School has turned out to be a point of growth and community-building.

Claudio Peguero is Ambassador and Advisor on Cyber Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic. Alban Andreu, instead, Policy Officer in the Strategic Affairs and Cybersecurity Department of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.

In this podcast episode, the two alumni-turned-speakers share their experience during and after the coursework, and how the previous year’s learnings played a role in their diplomatic work. Yet a testament to the Summer School’s role in shaping effective and adaptive cyber diplomacy leaders.

Practical Impact of the Diplomacy Focus

For both diplomats, the previous year’s Summer School left lasting impressions. A central takeaway for Andreu was the emphasis on the “strategic fusion” of technical and diplomatic skills. “In cyber diplomacy, understanding the technical aspects – like the complexities of cyber threats and emerging technologies – strengthens our diplomatic approaches,” he says. He credits the sessions on threat landscapes and resilience with helping his team at the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs shape a more secure and future-ready digital strategy.

Peguero, who serves as a cyber advisor at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic, points out that practical exercises and real-world case studies were among the school’s most valuable elements. “We discussed frameworks for stability and security that directly translate to national contexts,” he explains, highlighting how understanding international standards empowers him to advise his country in shaping strong digital policies. The discussions and exercises stressed particularly building resilience within diplomatic frameworks (of course), a key insight he has since applied in his advisory role.

Reflecting on his return as a speaker, Andreu notes, “This continuity is essential in cyber diplomacy, where rapid changes require a constant evolution in knowledge and skills.” Peguero adds that being a participant gave him insights that reshaped his approach, and now as a speaker, he hopes to offer current participants a blend of lessons learned in the field and updates on the latest developments.

Shifting Focus Areas: Emerging Trends and Challenges in Cyber Diplomacy

Some things have changed, however, since their last summer school. Shifts happen, in cyber diplomacy’s priorities. For example, a new emphasis on accountability within cyber operations, a theme that resonates with one of this Summer School’s focus points on “state accountability and response mechanisms.” “Governments worldwide are grappling with how to assign responsibility in cyberspace, especially as cyber incidents become more complex and state actors more involved,” Andreu observes. Something we have addressed before on this podcast too with Merle Maigre, Senior Expert heading our Competence Centre on Cybersecurity.

Peguero recalls, instead, the growing importance of cyber resilience, particularly in terms of capacity-building at the national level. “The Summer School’s structured sessions on resilience-building are timely,” he says, “because resilience today means both preventing incidents and building capabilities to respond effectively when they happen.” In many regions, in fact, resilience means more than only matters of technical security – it involves building up diplomatic, educational, and policy frameworks that can respond to cyber threats cohesively.

Lasting Impact Makes the Cyber Diplomacy Summer School Global

Reflecting on the Summer School’s broader impact, both Andreu and Peguero point out the role of the program in building an enduring network of cyber diplomats. For Andreu, the network created through the Summer School allows for a “shared language and understanding among diplomats,” something he sees as essential when navigating complex issues that require international collaboration. All connections that, fostered through interactive sessions and informal discussions, lay the groundwork for actually unified approaches to global cyber issues.

Peguero echoes this sentiment, adding that the collaborative atmosphere of the Summer School helps address the inherent global nature of cyber diplomacy challenges. “No single nation can tackle cyber threats alone. The more connected we are, the more coordinated our responses can be,” he says. On that line of thought, the relationships built at the Summer School represent a critical component in tightening collaboration, strengthening resilience, and enhancing the global response to cyber threats.

As Andreu and Peguero prepare to take on their new roles as speakers at the fifth Tallinn Cyber Diplomacy Summer School, they meet a new cohort of cyber diplomats seeking insights and experience. Held annually in Estonia, this program strengthens global cybersecurity efforts through shared learning and cross-border collaboration.

Tallinn Cyber Diplomacy Summer School is co-organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, e-Governance Academy, ESTDEV, and supported by the European Commission.