Embarking on its yet another public diplomacy initiative, the Pakistan Embassy in the UAE recently organised an interactive lecture on regional and trans-regional route to peaceful coexistence and collective security as a means to raising awareness on contemporary political discourse.

Secretary Clinton has made 21st Century Statecraft a key part of the Department's foreign policy agenda, using technology, digital networks, and innovation to meet the diplomatic and development challenges of the 21st century. She wants us to take "smart risks," utilizing these new communications tools in innovative ways in pursuit of our policy objectives.

The initiative, a key diplomatic effort by the State Department, aims to engage young girls and women on how success in athletics can develop important life skills and improve academic achievement. It also is designed to increase cross-cultural understanding between international participants and Americans.

Not long after becoming secretary of state in 2009, Clinton took up the cookstove cause, one of what she describes as “smart power” issues — though skeptical veterans of American foreign policy tend to deride them as soft more than smart.

What the U.S. should do is incorporate the space program into strategic communications and public diplomacy. For the PRC, space is seen not only as an arena for industrial policy but as a diplomatic and public relations tool. By contrast, NASA has a level of name recognition and positive association known the world over, but it underutilizes it.

Just two months into her tenure, the savvy social media under secretary can be found on Twitter @Tsonenshine. Using @StateDept with hashtag #AskState or @USAenEspanol using hashtag #AskUSA, interested followers can ask Sonenshine questions about the State Department and her responsibilities.

The UN secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, has agreed to set up an international scientific advisory board to provide him with guidance on science-related issues, and enable him to provide advice to UN member states on such issues. The move was announced last Friday (22 June) at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) by Irina Bokova, the director-general of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).