“Soft power” challenged Korea’s traditional development paradigm. From the 1960s, authoritarian governments had placed absolute primacy on economic growth. Social and political development was de-prioritized as the entire nation was hitched to an economic locomotive that would convey Korea to the terminus of “advanced nations.”

Numerous young people, mostly university students in their 20s from diverse countries, including the United States, Germany and Pakistan, accepted invitations to the retreat and bought plane tickets, eager to explore Russia and to meet their Russian counterparts.

Delhi University, while realising the importance of an international exposure, is keen on casting its net wide. It has signed many MoUs with universities and colleges abroad for student and faculty exchange programmes.

"Of course, we had in the past and also now Taiwanese students studying in Israeli leading universities, but this is the first time that Taiwanese students will benefit from our government scholarships" said Raphael Gamzou, the head of the Israel Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei.

Thirty students from across the United States traveled to Kyoto last month under a new U.S. government initiative to boost the country's supply of Japanese speakers, part of its effort to make the country more competitive globally. The student trip is sponsored by the U.S. State Department...

Michaelle Jean did a little panda diplomacy yesterday in a bid to seal a deal that would see China send two Giant Pandas to Canada... China sends pandas only to its "friends," [Dr. Ming-Tat Cheung, chairman of the Panda Acquisition Task Force at the Toronto Zoo] said, and its "special friends" get a special price, too.

The Spain Pavilion restaurant, a.k.a the restaurant of Pedro Larumbe, provides traditional Spanish cuisine adapted to the modern kitchen and local tastes. Larumbe, a Michelin three-star chef, has designed a menu that combines typical Spanish elements such as Iberian pork, olives and wine with an Oriental twist.

World taekwondo athletes are gathering in South Korea this week for the 4th World Taekwondo Culture Expo, which kicks off today and runs through July 7 in Muju, North Jeolla Province. Over 1,200 athletes and officials from 30 countries will take part in the annual event sponsored by the World Taekwondo Federation and the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism.