The emphasis that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid on setting and revamping India’s foreign policy agenda is indeed laudable. In his foreign trips, there has been a constant focus on creating a perception around and effectively projecting ‘Brand India’. It is here that the importance of public diplomacy comes in. 

Tags: india, narendra modi, soft power, government pd, brand india, Distinguished Lecture Series, foreign policy

It wouldn't be senate estimates without senior Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade officials having to justify the presence of a $6300 ping-pong table in the 'InnovationXchange' ideas hub.[...]  "Senator you call it a ping pong table, I call it a meeting table," he said. "It is used all day for meeting and not for ping pong. It is actively used throughout the day and sits 10 or 12 people around it."

Tags: australia, ping pong diplomacy, sports diplomacy, dfat, innovationxchange, exchanges, penny wong, ewen mcdonald, julie bishop

In an earlier CPD blog post, Sohaela Amiri’s list of essential tools for digital diplomats concluded: “Impactful social media presence is primarily about listening.” We agree. Our recently published research, moreover, outlines some ways that the ease of search, categorization, and analysis of digital media content can be put to use to learn more about how nations are represented in online media.

Tags: digital diplomacy & new tech, social media, online strategy, impact, australia-korea foundation, data analysis, international image

Ami Matsuzawa is an inquisitive person. This is probably why First Lady Akie Abe wanted to meet her as part of an international group of young women that is helping Japan engage with the world.

Tags: japan, ami matsuzawa, non state pd, gastrodiplomacy, Cultural Diplomacy, culture, LunchTrip, education, tourism

While Germany has grabbed most of the attention for its response to Europe's migrant crisis, little fjord-filled Norway has quietly emerged as one of the largest contributors of humanitarian aid to Syrian refugees.The oil-rich Scandinavian  country of 5 million has pledged $1.2 billion over the next four years for people who have fled Syria's nearly 5-year-old civil war.

Tags: norway, syria, global aid & development, refugee crisis, government pd, europe, economic development, education, norwegian refugee council

Announcements made by the Russian news agency TASS confirmed that Beijing’s State Oceanic Administration (SOA) would prepare its seventh Arctic exploration mission later this year and would seek a partnership with Russia to conduct a joint exploration and research mission in the Arctic. 

Tags: russia, china, government pd, science diplomacy, arctic exploration, partnership, arctic council, economic development

Chang highlighted the shortcomings of the “al-Kitaab” textbook series, which graces the shelves of college bookstores fromStanford, CA to Medford, Mass. She pointed out how early chapters of the textbook, which in congruent levels of learning Spanish or French would include colors and months, are riddled with vocabulary about the United Nations, the State Department and diplomacy.

Tags: Cultural Diplomacy, arabic language, culture, education, united states, state department, international relations

While Chinese tourists in Australia for Lunar New Year are being targeted in the hope they will spend big on Australian fashion [...] Mr Coghlan is helping find ways to build cultural connections and "soft power diplomacy" between the two countries, by taking designers and Australian fashion industry representatives into China - and vice versa.

Tags: china, australia, lunar new year, tourism, fashion diplomacy, smart & soft power, non state pd, economic development, australia china fashion alliance