The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the NBA announced a "sports envoy" program today, tipping off with with a Feb. 22-March 2 mission to India. Hall of Fame player George Gervin...and women's NBA star Katie Smith will visit Mumbai and New Delhi...

"Indian cinema is very popular in Moscow and we love the imaginative dance choreographies in Indian movies. It is natural that the audience here will appreciate ballet," said Irina Kazaryan, head of the international department of the Grand Moscow Classical Ballet.

Leah Peretz was not surprised that Shenkar College of Engineering and Design made Fashionista's December list of the top 50 fashion schools in the world. She knows that Shenkar's fashion department and its graduates enjoy a world-class reputation, consistently garnering awards at prestigious international competitions.

A common history stood in the backdrop as music strengthened the bond between two nations. A day after the qawwals had stirred up emotions in Ajmer, singers Shankar Mahadevan and Shafqat Amanat Ali raised the peace pitch even higher at the Purana Qila on Sunday evening...

Pop quiz: name three jazz artists under the age of 50. Maybe you named popular favorites Wynton and Branford Marsalis, but can you name any of their albums? Does anyone else spring to mind? No?

Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN) will publish another major report on public diplomacy shortly. Written by Paul Foldi, senior professional staff on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, this report focuses on Chinese public diplomacy with the inevitable comparison to U.S. efforts. I was given a sneak peak at the report.

As India asserts itself within the global power dynamic, India is having a vibrant discussion about public diplomacy and how to engage in channels of public diplomacy as a means to project its emergence.