A curated selection of public diplomacy-relevant news from a global cross-section of English-language media outlets, including independent, corporate-owned, and state-sponsored sources. The stories featured don't necessarily represent CPD's views nor have they been verified by CPD.

Conference on 'Make in India' held in Houston

Houston India Conference is designed to bring together the various constituencies that have an interest in India, and discuss with them the latest developments and the best practices of doing business in India.The central focus of the conference is to provide a collaboration platform and share today's India story with the audience in Texas who are interested in investing in India, by the people who are playing an important role in shaping up the modern. 

Tags: india, houston, make in india, economic diplomacy, texan, indian americans, indo-us relations

Lights Go Out Around the World for 10th Earth Hour

The lights are being switched off around the world at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday evening, to mark the 10th annual Earth Hour, and to draw attention to climate change. The initiative began in Australia in 2007 as a grass roots gesture by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Australia against man-made carbon dioxide emissions linked to a warming planet. In 2017, it will involve the switching off of electric lights for an hour in 7,000 cities across 172 countries, at 8:30 p.m.

Tags: earth hour, australia, World Wildlife Fund, climate change, argentina, uganda, global issues, environmental aid

Australia and World Bank to Boost Private Sector

The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the Ministry of Development Strategies and International Trade (MODSIT) and the World Bank launched a joint programme of technical assistance and advisory services to the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) to enhance the competitiveness of the private sector and unleash the potential of Sri Lankan exports.

Tags: australia, world bank, government pd, private sector, sri lanka, international trade, trade diplomacy

Turkey’s ‘Soft Power’ Reaches North African Universities

The cooperation plan includes the establishment of a joint Tunisia-Turkey university, promotion of collaboration among Turkish and Tunisian universities, and the enhancement of student and faculty exchanges. [...] The partnership with Turkey has also paved the way for the establishment of North African cross-border institutes or campuses in Turkey as part of a wider bid to position Turkey as a higher education hub for Arab students. 

Tags: soft power, Cultural Diplomacy, turkey, north africa, regional alliance, partnership, international exchange

Culinary Arts Festival held by Cultural Diplomacy Serena Hotels

The Thai Ambassador said: “The Royal Thai Embassy is very pleased to work with Serena Hotel to present authentic and Halal Thai food to Pakistani guests. Thailand is famous for excellence in food and for its wonderful cultural heritage as well as the amazing cultural performances. The Royal Thai Embassy in Islamabad hopes that everyone will enjoy authentic Thai cuisine and the very lively performances by the professional cultural troupe from Thailand.”

Tags: culinary art, culinary diplomacy, gastrodiplomacy, food diplomacy, islamabad, thailand, cultural exchange, Cultural Diplomacy

International Education Critical for Asia’s Diplomacy

International education in Asia Pacific has been a critical diplomacy tool for the region – one that is becoming all the more essential given the tempestuous global political landscape and a move towards isolationism in a number of countries, educators said this week at the Asia Pacific Association for International Education conference. [...] stakeholders nonetheless observed that the region’s global competitiveness continues to increase.

Tags: international exchange, smart & soft power, international education, asia pacific, global influence, people to people exchange

In Putin’s Russia, The Hollowed-Out Media Mirrors the State

Putin perfectly understood the power of the media that helped propel his famously unpopular predecessor Boris Yeltsin into power in 1996. So the first thing he did after assuming the presidency in 2000 was to force all the major TV channels to submit to his will. Oligarch owners were either co-opted, jailed or exiled, and by 2006 most major Russian media were either directly or indirectly under Putin’s administration’s control.

Tags: international broadcasting, smart & soft power, government pd, russia, vladimir putin, propaganda, media, strategic communications

Pakistan-U.S. Ties: A Glimpse into History

At a time when Pakistan-US relations are possibly at the lowest ebb for a number of reasons, few people remember or even know of the peak days when a US first lady visited Pakistan and extensively travelled across the country to a rousing welcome by thousands of men, women and children 55 years ago. From Karachi to Lahore, Rawalpindi and Peshawar, people were seen lining the roads and streets, waving, cheering and cherishing their country’s friendship with the United States.

Tags: history & theory, government pd, pakistan, united states, bilateral relations, south asia, diplomatic relations

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