The soft power roadmap for what is needed is relatively clear. Seizing the moment requires the United States and international partners to give much higher priority to activities such as public diplomacy, sustainable development assistance, and exchange programmes.

News reports are filled with stories that make Muslims, and those in religious minorities where they live, feel uneasy. It’s clear that for many, the world has become a fearful place. So when The Star received an email from a Muslim high school exchange student expressing hope and idealism about the state of the world, editors took notice.

Encouraging more American students to study Chinese and study abroad in China will ensure Sino-American relationship grows and flourishes in the future, U.S. educators have said. "The goal is to strengthen the overall U.S.-China relationship by ensuring very strong people-to-people ties," said Travis Tanner, vice president of 100,000-Strong Initiative Foundation, a non-profit U.S.organization that leads the Chinese language education initiative called "1 Million Strong."

While a huge influx of immigration has brought much cultural diversity to the country, Qatar has also made concerted efforts to preserve its own heritage through cultural projects and the all encompassing Vision 2030

The UK’s former minister of universities and science, David Willetts, has said outbound student mobility is essential to the country’s soft power agenda. Speaking at the International Unit’s Go International event this week, Willetts said two-way mobility programmes facilitate negotiations with overseas partners.

Former senior officials from South Korea, China and Japan will hold their first three-way forum on public diplomacy later this week to help promote cooperation among the three nations […] The forum "will discuss how to deepen dialogue and exchange among the three countries," Hua said. "We believe that this will make a constructive role for promoting trilateral cooperation and interactions."

Teachers from all over the world go to the U.S. to gain skills, knowledge and experience to bring back to their homeland through the Visiting International Faculty (VIF) program. The VIF program also helps fill in the teacher shortage for English-language learners.

The success of Boise's refugee resettlement program has attracted international attention. German professionals, public officials and volunteers kicked off a two-day visit to Boise on Friday to learn about how the city welcomes and integrates refugees.