CPD Launches Two New China-related Research Projects

This month, the USC Center on Public Diplomacy launched two new research projects relevant to public diplomacy efforts from and in China: the Shanghai Expo 2010 and Confucius Institutes.

USC Annenberg public relations scholar Jian "Jay" Wang will lead the Shanghai Expo 2010 project which will explore how countries pursue nation branding at this summer’s World Expo and how Chinese visitors will experience the branded country pavilions. The project’s web page currently provides a Media Monitor aggregating international news stories and editorials on activities surrounding the Shanghai Expo. Visit the site later this spring to view a selection of country profiles and watch out for video blogs which will be posted from Shanghai over the course of the summer.

Professor Wang is also conducting research at the Center on China's Confucius Institutes in the United States and examining their role as cultural diplomacy platforms for China to project its soft power. For an overview of international coverage of Confucius Institutes around the world and for a list of relevant publications on the topic, visit the project page. Additional information as well as the project’s findings will be posted in the coming months.