Earlier this year at the National People's Congress, Premier Wen Jiabao stated in his government work report that China will attach more importance to cultural development to enhance the international influence of Chinese culture. This is just the latest confirmation that China recognizes that it has to enhance its global image by the exercise of soft power.

As with most cultural festivals that go global, Oktoberfest has branded, packaged and exported Bavaria’s culture of drinking beer at long trestle tables, playing oompah music, eating pretzls and pork-knuckle, and wearing Lederhosen and Dirnln, the frilly women’s dresses.

The festival, which was co-sponsored by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) along with the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG), was marked by extremely poor attendance and below par organisation by the hosts.

The British Embassy recently announced the three month American tour of the Tricycle Theatre Company’s production of “The Great Game: Afghanistan” that began September 15 in Washington, DC.... The British government clearly thinks it worthwhile to attempt to influence American public opinion...

Hundreds of Armenians gathered at the 10th-century Holy Cross Church near Van, a city close to Turkey's border with Iran, for the first religious service there since the mass killings of Armenians in 1915. The event, at a site considered sacred by many Armenians, was seen as a symbolic gesture by Turkey to mend relations with Armenia.

Chinese writer Lijian Zhang along with Pakistani writers Mohammed Haneef and Ali Sethi will be the prime attractions of the Kovalam Literature Festival early next month in Thiruvanthapuram.

Vocational students in Germany are given a rare chance to be in the spotlight through a partnership with an American dance organization that works with disadvantaged youth.

The two giant neighbours [China and India], which are also partners in trade, need to understand each other to make the best of each other's needs and strengths.What better way than to introduce each other's language in their respective education systems. The proposal to institute an exchange programme of scholars between the two countries and cooperation among universities also has a similar logic to it.