Join CPD on April 23 for a conversation about soft power in action with Wilton Park CEO, Richard Burge.

As part of its research initiatives, CPD hosted a series of discussions with researchers and practitioners to conceptualize PD evaluation.

The Spring 2014 CPD-Journalism Forum examined the intersection of sports, journalism and international relations, as Russia plays host to the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics (February 7-23).

Panelists:

• Derek Shearer, former ambassador to Finland; Stuart Chevalier Professor of Diplomacy and World Affairs, Occidental College

Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Evan Ryan brought decades of experience in communications, public engagement, and cultural exchange to this CPD Conversation in Public Diplomacy.

Assistant Secretary Ryan discussed the role of public diplomacy in U.S. foreign policy and national security, as well as the importance of people-to-people exchanges in building more secure, democratic, and prosperous societies.

The USC Center on Public Diplomacy was pleased to co-sponsor the Association of Public Diplomacy Scholars (APDS) 2013 annual conference on public diplomacy in the Americas.

Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan, Mexico's former Ambassador to the United States, will be in residence as the 2013-14 CPD Distinguished Fellow. He spoke about a history of perceptions and realities in the Mexico-US relationship, and the implications for public diplomacy engagement.

The Cyrus Cylinder, a 2,500-year-old object discovered in ancient Babylon, is considered by many to be the first declaration of human rights. This unique artifact, part of the British Museum collection, continues to excite the imagination of different peoples from around the world.

Dr. Bernd Fischer, German Consul General in Los Angeles, discussed an innovative program, spearheaded by the German government, that provides American youth from low-income backgrounds with training, associate degrees, and jobs for life in the U.S.-based German manufacturing plants. It offered an illustrative case of what the business community can do to enhance international understanding while improving the bottom line.