CPD Director Jay Wang on Public Diplomacy in Dubai

CPD Director Jay Wang was one of a group of academic experts invited to speak at the Dubai Expo 2020 Theme Symposium from October 22-24. Speaking at the expert panel, “Opportunities for Dubai Expo 2020,” Wang discussed the World Expo as a platform for public diplomacy and global engagement, noting, “The World Expo constitutes a unique global communal moment. Nations and their cultures are made visible through exhibition and interaction at the pavilions. The event is particularly important these days, given the rise of the global middle class.”

Wang and his academic colleagues were joined by business leaders, ambassadors, and others from the private and public sectors to explore Dubai’s proposed Expo theme, “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future: Partnerships for Global Innovation and Sustainable Development.” Three specific aspects of global partnership – environmental sustainability, optimal mobility, and economic opportunity – were the focus of the Symposium’s talks and workshops.

The Symposium gave more than 250 representatives of the Bureau of International Expositions and its member states the opportunity to learn about the UAE’s leadership and certain key initiatives the country has undertaken to maximize the Expo’s potential impact, if it is hosted in Dubai.

Dubai is one of four cities in the running to host the 2020 world’s fair, in addition to Izmir, Turkey, Yekaterinburg, Russia and Sao Paulo, Brazil. On 27 November, the General Assembly of the BIE will hold the final vote to determine the Expo’s 2020 location. 

To find out more about CPD's research project on Nation Branding at the Shanghai Expo 2010, click here.