Digital Governance, Security, and Democracy

The course aims to provide learners with a foundational understanding of the key models, principles and practices of digital governance, digital security and digital democracy in Estonia and internationally. It seeks to enable learners to understand Estonia's digital government ecosystem and internet voting; compare and apply digital governance and digital democracy models across local, national and supranational contexts; evaluate theoretical and practical approaches to artificial intelligence regulation and cybersecurity governance; critically analyse manifestations of Russian information and hybrid warfare; and assess how digital transformation is reshaping democracy and sovereignty.

Anyone interested in learning about digital governance, security, and democracy. NB! Due to the Russia's war in Ukraine, we don't admit students from the Russian Federation.

Participants should be able to work independently. Required compentences: information management, time management and planning skills, problem-solving, formal logic, critical thinking, and intercultural communication.

Upon successful completion of the course, participants would be able to:
- Describe the key features of Estonia's digital government ecosystem and internet voting system.
- Explain and compare key models of digital governance and digital democracy.
- Apply the digital governance and digital democracy models to own local, national, and supranational contexts.
- Understand modern theoretical and practical approaches to regulating artificial intelligence and governing cybersecurity.
- Identify and critically analyse manifestations of Russian information and hybrid warfare.
- Analyse and assess how digital transformation is shaping democracy and sovereignty.

Dmytro Khutkyy

Topic	Credit	Lectors
1. Module 1: Digital Governance - Models of Digital Governance (Vincent Homburg, University of Tartu) - Estonian Government Ecosystem: Scale and Evolution (Kristjan Vassil, University of Tartu) - Regulating Artificial Intelligence: Theory and Practice (Indrek Kuusk. University of Tartu)	17	Dmytro Khutkyy
2. Module 2: Digital Security - Russian Information Warfare in Ukraine, Europe, and Worldwide (Rainer Saks, University of Tartu) - Russian Hybrid Warfare: Case Studies from Estonia (Arnold Sinisalu, University of Tartu) - Governing Cybersecurity in the Digital Age (Logan Carmichael, University of Tartu)	17	Dmytro Khutkyy
3. Module 3: Digital Democracy - Digital Democracy: Visions and Practices (Dmytro Khutkyy, University of Tartu) - Internet Voting in Estonia (Mihkel Solvak, University of Tartu) - Democracy and Sovereignty in the Digital Age (Martin Mölder, University of Tartu)	18	Dmytro Khutkyy

Political sciences and civics

SVJS.TK.091

To pass the course, students need to:
- pass all multiple-choice quizzes (answer 80% or more questions in each quiz correctly);
- complete all sets of self-study questions and post their answers on the forum;
- comment on other students' forum posts in each module.

non-differentiated (pass, fail, not present)

The course assessment consists of 3 quizzes, 3 forum posts, and forum discussions across the 3 modules.

1. Quizzes: each of the three modules concludes with a 24-question multiple-choice quiz. The quiz assesses learners’ understanding of the core concepts, models, cases, and theoretical and practical approaches covered in the module’s lectures and mandatory readings. The quiz primarily assesses the learning outcomes concerning description, explanation, comparison, and understanding. A passing grade is awarded when a course participant answers at least 80% of the questions in each quiz correctly. Each course participant can use up to 3 attempts per quiz. 2. Forum posts (self-study questions): Each of the three modules includes a set of self-study questions based on that module’s lectures, mandatory readings, and an educational online game. Playing the game is compulsory, and learners’ engagement with it is assessed through their responses to the self-study questions. To pass the assignment, learners must submit a forum post of approximately 400 words that directly addresses the self-study questions, reflects on the decisions made and outcomes encountered in the game, demonstrates an accurate understanding of the relevant concepts, presents a clear and well-reasoned argument, and draws on the course lectures and mandatory readings where appropriate. 3. Forum discussions: in each module, learners must post a thoughtful comment of approximately 200 words on at least one other learner’s forum post. To be considered thoughtful, the comment must engage directly with the ideas or arguments presented, demonstrate an accurate understanding of the relevant course concepts, provide constructive and well-reasoned feedback, and contribute a new perspective, question, example, or counterargument to the discussion. Where appropriate, learners should support their comments with references to the course lectures or mandatory readings. Comments must also be respectful, relevant, and expressed clearly.