Improving international relations conferences through virtual interactions

Abstract

This study investigates virtual interactions in distributed collaboration, with the aim to improve international relations conferences through virtual interactions. This is done by addressing the problems and issues of operation, context and strategy that frequently affect international relations conferences, while preserving conference deliberations. The study deploys a qualitative inductive research approach, based on the deployment of a finite number of case studies, specifically comprising Virtual Embassy: Diplomacy in the Era of the Internet, Terrorism: Focus on 9/11, and Internet Governance and Standardisation. The key to the empirical research phase was, first, to set up of a distributed WAN with nodes worldwide; second, to run a series of virtual sessions on case study themes; and, third, to capture data as fragments of textual transcript, analyse using a coding schema, and formulate states-as-actors concepts and behaviours. The findings demonstrate, empirically, the existence of states-as-actors behaviour. A formal system specification language, Z, is invoked, which is used to model states-as-actors behaviour, with the aim to provide a broader generalisation, theory and framework as a core research outcome. A multi-agent Z specification framework is obtained, which models states-as-actors behaviour as comprising passive behaviour, active generic behaviour, active goal-oriented behaviour, and active autonomous behaviour, which manifest at any time during a session as a quasi-dynamic metamorphic binary system of agent deletion and agent creation, in which one behaviour mode appears as another behaviour mode disappears. The contribution of this research study is three-fold. First, the study contributes to knowledge, the Z specification framework, which models virtual interactions in distributed collaboration, in terms of states-asactors behaviour in international relations conferences. This has the potential of realising an information system in which artificial intelligence can be embedded to provide further insight into the behaviour modes of states-as-actors, possibly in a time continuum. Second, the study contributes to the practical feasibility of a distributed collaboration system as an implementable system on the electronic communication medium. This has the potential of enhancement through the incorporation of trustworthy computing (twc). Third the study contributes a 9-stage process-based strategy as a practical set of guidelines on how to run a multilateral negotiation in the international relations context. This has the potential being subjected to further testing and validating in an action-oriented research mode.