Mega-Events & Public Diplomacy

Mega-events such as the World Expo, the Olympic Games, and the FIFA World Cup serve as powerful stages for public diplomacy, offering countries a unique opportunity to project national identity, shape global perceptions, and foster international dialogue. The USC Center on Public Diplomacy has long recognized their significance, publishing research and hosting discussions that examine how mega-events influence global opinion, advance diplomatic goals, and leave lasting legacies for host societies. Below is a roundup of notable resources.

World Expos

Things You Might Not Know about World Expos. In Brussels, 1935, crowds watched Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse in color for the first time. Learn more about it, and other World Expo facts.

ExpoMuseum.com Series. César Corona, CEO of ExpoMuseum.com, reports on and documents Expos from Ukraine's & Japan's Pavilions at the Osaka Expo, the diplomatic component of Expos, bringing the Expo back to the U.S., and a photo essay series from the Dubai Expo. 

Expo 2025 Viewpoints. A group of USC Master of Public Diplomacy students captures Expo 2025 in a series of insightful essays and stunning photos.

5 Ideas to Strengthen the World Expo. Drawing from a visit to Expo 2025 Osaka, USC Master of Public Diplomacy Director and Associate Professor Jay Wang explores the promise and unrealized possibility of the World Expo. Wang also explored human-to-human connections in an analysis of the Dubai Expo. 

Local Action, Global Impact. CPD explores the significance of the World Expo and its transformation by digital technology. 

Looking for God at the Expo. CPD Faculty Fellow Nicholas Cull probes the role of religion at Expos in a series on Osaka and Milan (Parts One and Two). 

Interview with Secretary General of BIE. Secretary General of the International Exhibitions Bureau, Vicente Gonzalez Loscertales, discussed the Expo as a platform for public diplomacy.

Five Top Book Picks on World Expos. CPD highlights five of the most significant books on World Expos.

The Olympics

CPD Perspectives: Sport-Tech Diplomacy & the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. CPD Research Fellow Yoav Dubinsky explores the intersections of sports, technology and diplomacy at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Why the Olympics Matters for Smaller Sporting Nations. For smaller nations, writes Bilal Zubair, the Olympics is an opportunity to improve soft power, celebrate their athletes and foster national unity.

Olympics: Once More 'A Symbol of Hope and Peace in Our Troubled Times.'  Award-winning sports journalist Alan Abrahamson analyzes the Olympic movement's role in global peacebuilding.

How Sports Unlock City Diplomacy. In the leadup to the Tokyo Olympics, CPD hosted a discussion on the role of sports in city diplomacy featuring representatives from the Los Angeles Mayor's Office, the Houston Sports Authority, and SportsDiplomacy.org. 

A Conversation with Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris. CPD welcomed the Mayor of Paris for a discussion on the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, among other topics.

Olympic Diplomacy on the Korean Peninsula. Robert Dunbar looked at the North Korea-South Korea women's hockey team as a significant step in Olympic history.

What will Happen to Russian Sports Diplomacy After Sanctions? Eriks Varpahovskis explores how sanctions impacted Russia's sports diplomacy.

Special Olympics: A Uniquely Valuable PD Asset. CPD Board Chair Barry Sanders pays tribute to the Special Olympics, "an American import that is an unalloyed good."

FIFA World Cup

An Inter-Event Comparison of Two Historic Global Mega Events: FIFA 2022 and Expo 2020.  Former U.S. Public Diplomat in Residence Matthew Asada compares two global mega-events that occurred within a 17-month period between July 2021 and December 2022: the FIFA 2022 World Cup and Expo 2020 Dubai.

People, Places, Power -  Mega Events? Buyer Beware. A podcast co-hosted by CPD Faculty Fellow Nicholas Cull and Good Country Index founder Simon Anholt explores the role of mega events like the FIFA World Cup in helping or hurting international reputation. 

Global Mega-Events.  Los Angeles Times staff writer Kevin Baxter sat down with CPD's Former U.S. Public Diplomat in Residence Matthew Asada to discuss the impact of global mega-events such as the FIFA World Cup.  

Soft Power and Public Diplomacy in Qatar After the World Cup. Explore Qatar's public diplomacy strategies and soft power following the end of the 2022 World Cup.

The Beautiful Game: Soccer and National Identity. Listen to CPD's interview with Roger Kittleson about The Country of Football: Soccer and the Making of Modern Brazil

Soccer Diplomacy at the FIFA World Cup. The complex allegiances of Steven Beitashour, the Iranian team's American player.