Bureau of International Information Programs (IIP) Coordinator Dawn L. McCall travels this week to Seoul, South Korea and Jakarta, Indonesia to meet with social media researchers and senior Embassy officials to discuss social media trends, public opinion of the United States, and public diplomacy programs.

Few in the West have heard its authentically Persian sound, but now the classical, Persian stringed instrument known as a kamancheh is being heard in an unlikely place - the mid-western U.S. state of Ohio. An Iranian-American musician is resurrecting the kamancheh’s ancient sound - the hard way - and introducing it to a whole new audience.

In Norway, to speak negatively about any aspect of the Muslim faith has always been a touchy matter, inviting charges of "Islamophobia" and racism. It will, I fear, be a great deal more difficult to broach these issues now that this murderous madman has become the poster boy for the criticism of Islam.

The U-20 is Colombia’s biggest-ever international sports event. This time around, the country is embracing the challenge. The games will be played in Bogota, Medellin, Cartagena and five other cities and watched on TV by 500 million people around the world. Spectators will learn about the country’s improved security, booming economy and natural beauty.

The Israeli Chamber Orchestra will break with tradition to play a work by Hitler's favourite composer, Richard Wagner, in Germany. It is rare for Israeli musicians to play the anti-Semitic composer's work, which was appropriated by the Nazis. Musical director Roberto Paternostro said that while Wagner's ideology was "terrible", the aim was "to divide the man from his art".

The United States has increased its funding for the binational Fulbright Program to $8.5 million per year, making it one of the largest Fulbright programs in the world. The U.S. government has committed $15 million for a new five year Fulbright Indonesia Research, Science, and Technology Program – or FIRST Program - to support American and Indonesian students and scholars.

Heidi Wastweet is a Seattle sculptor and medallic artist, but one of her passions is to design money — coins, specifically...and now she gets to design the future of the United States' coins. Coins may be viewed as chump change, says Wastweet, but the image on a penny, nickel or quarter can influence the way we and the world view America.

What better way to build bridges across borders than with some light entertainment and gripping love affairs? The soaps and serials that are being scheduled into primetime viewing slots region-wide are creating a desire for cultural exchange, a sort of knowing me, knowing you effect. The frenzy caused by the popularity of Turkish soaps is capturing the imaginations of its viewers.