Elia Alberti beams at these words from his host “father,” Berkeley Police Chief Mike Meehan, who is sitting at his family’s dining room table. It has been nearly nine months since a then-16-year-old Alberti stepped off the plane from Milan, frantically plugging “the airline lost my luggage” into Google Translate. Misplaced bags and a tenuous grasp of the English language were only the first adventures that Alberti and his host family would tackle during the year to follow.

The People’s Republic of China is opening China Culture Center (CCC) in Nepal this year to coinicide with 60 years of diplomatic relations between the two nations. [...] The opening of the facility will promote cultures of the two countries, said Melsam Ojha, president of Friendship and Development Academy which has been promoting the Chinese culture in Nepal.

Every school year, foreign exchange students — some on short visits and others on year-long exchanges, walk the halls of local high schools. Spending time in the U.S. gives the students an opportunity to immerse themselves in American culture, language and customs, an experience they embrace and value. But it’s not only the students who are enriched — the families who host them also learn about cultures and people distinctly different from their own.

The Asean nations are characterised by an immense diversity and richness of languages and cultural traditions. In addition to their unique official languages and scripts, and now their common use of English, many hundreds of ethnic languages are spoken across the 10 countries. In the Philippines, and most recently in Myanmar, a mature and progressive attitude of balanced multilingualism is being felt in policy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Iran raised interest not just in India but across the world. [...] The cultural agenda was covered under the largely unnoticed third agreement signed under the PM’s aegis by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations and the Islamic Culture and Relations Organisation.

Every Sunday afternoon, rain or shine, a group of people gathers at a park in Tokyo’s bustling Ikebukuro district, where Japanese people studying Chinese and Chinese living in Japan can engage in lively conversation.

British, American and Australians members of the Friendship Force International (FF) enjoyed a weeklong homestay in Korea as part of a program to promote intercultural ties. During their visit, members of the international cultural exchange program visited the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), Gyeongbok Palace, the Korean Folk Village...

Hangeul Planet plans to hold Hangeul calligraphy events at universities at home and abroad and work on cultural diplomacy to promote communication with people around the world through the Korean language.