In Conversation with H.E. Federico Bianchi, EU Ambassador to Guinea-Bissau: A Two-Part Special Event - From West Africa to Digital Diplomacy
Join H.E. Federico Bianchi, EU Ambassador to Guinea‑Bissau, for a two‑day conversation that links complex regional realities with the tools of modern diplomacy. Designed for UK and international students of foreign relations based in London, as well as foreign policy analysts interested in West African dynamics, the event pairs frontline political and security analysis of West Africa with a hands‑on exploration of digital diplomacy – why both matter now more than ever following regional and global instability, rise of Foreign-led mis and disinformation, and the end of the post-war multilateral order.
Event Layout
Guinea‑Bissau at the Crossroads: Post‑Coup West Africa, Drug Trafficking, Migration and Political Instability
Synopsis
Guinea‑Bissau’s 23 November 2025 coup has sharpened a set of regional challenges: organised drug trafficking routes, irregular migration flows across the Gulf of Guinea and Sahel, and fragile state institutions. This session places Guinea‑Bissau at the centre of a wider conversation about security and governance in West Africa — exploring how instability there reverberates into Europe and what realistic policy options exist for the EU and the UK.
Key themes
- The post‑coup political landscape in Guinea‑Bissau: power dynamics, actors and prospects for stabilisation.
- Drug trafficking networks and the country’s role as a transit hub: routes, criminal economies and regional spillover.
- Irregular migration: drivers, maritime/overland routes and humanitarian dimensions.
- Security cooperation and state‑building: EU and UK tools, limitations and ethical dilemmas.
- Policy opportunities: targeted sanctions, maritime security, development diplomacy, regional partnerships and civil‑society engagement.
- Risks and unintended consequences: securitisation, legitimising coups, and the trade‑offs of intervention.
Format
- Keynote by H.E. Federico Bianchi
- Conversation with Q&A
- Short case study: policy options for the EU and the UK (student discussants invited)
Digital Diplomacy: Shaping Influence in a Connected – and Contested – World
Synopsis:
Digital technology has reconfigured how states, institutions and non‑state actors project influence. From real‑time crisis diplomacy to disinformation campaigns, platforms and data practices now shape outcomes as much as traditional tools of foreign policy. This session examines digital diplomacy both as an instrument and as a domain to be governed: how embassies use social media and data to build resilience; how digital platforms are leveraged by authoritarian and criminal actors; and how diplomatic practice must adapt to ethical, legal and strategic challenges.
What you will learn:
- Practical use cases: digital public diplomacy, crisis comms, and narrative management during instability.
- Tools and tactics: social listening, targeted outreach, influencer engagement and rapid response.
- Counter‑measures: counter‑disinformation, digital resilience for missions and safeguarding civil liberties.
- Policy and governance: platform regulation, cross‑border data flows and norms for state behaviour online.
- Careers in digital diplomacy: roles, skillsets and pathways for students entering foreign policy and tech‑policy fields.
Format:
- Presentation by H.E. Federico Bianchi
- Demonstration: a short digital mis information campaign simulation tied to Day 1’s Guinea‑Bissau case
- Panel-style discussion and interactive Q&A with practical takeaways
More information about the event
This event is convened and hosted by LSE IDEAS.
LSE IDEAS (@lseideas) is LSE's foreign policy think tank. Through sustained engagement with policymakers and opinion-formers, IDEAS provides a forum that informs policy debate and connects academic research with the practice of diplomacy and strategy.
From time to time there are changes to event details so we strongly recommend that if you plan to attend this event you check back on this listing on the day of the event.
Whilst we are hosting this listing, LSE Events does not take responsibility for the running and administration of this event. While we take responsible measures to ensure that accurate information is given here this event is ultimately the responsibility of the organisation presenting the event.
LSE holds a wide range of events, covering many of the most controversial issues of the day, and speakers at our events may express views that cause offence. The views expressed by speakers at LSE events do not reflect the position or views of the London School of Economics and Political Science.