Indeed, the Olympic Torch may represent ‘peace, unity and friendship’ but the Games have always been about more than sportsmanship. The objective is to carry out sports diplomacy; however, the result is often dictated by power politics. This year, for instance, the participation of the first ever team of displaced athletes named ‘Team Refugees’ brings to light the instability of political regimes around the world.

The recent commercial backing of Australia Plus by three foundation partners is a boon for Australia’s soft power and demonstrates the resilience and innovation of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Beyond this, it should be seen as an opportunity for Australian businesses and a case study in corporate entrepreneurship.

Communications Minister Faith Muthambi on Wednesday said more needed to be done by the government, private sector and civil society to achieve a “consistent and cohesive” approach when marketing South Africa locally, in the African continent and internationally. Building a national brand depends on nation building and how cohesive we are as a nation. 

A year has passed since Germany opened its doors to hundreds of thousands of refugees and Chancellor Angela Merkel uttered her famous mantra – Wir schaffen das. We can do it. Her critics at home have grown louder over the past year [...] But how has the refugee crisis impacted Germany's international reputation as a steadfast ally, an economic powerhouse and a country with a troubled history?

The culture industry is not only a money-spinner for a country, but is possibly a major sector that boosts the economy. Bùi Hoài Sơn, deputy head of the Việt Nam Institute of Culture and Arts Studies (VICAS), said this, while speaking about the development of the culture industry in Việt Nam in recent years.

New ABC managing director Michelle Guthrie has outlined plans to renew an international expansion into overseas markets like China as part of a “soft power push” to influence Australia’s standing on the world stage. Two years after the controversial Australia Network was shut down because the government did not believe the ABC was meeting its contractual obligations, Ms Guthrie has foreshadowed a new offensive. 

GIX, a graduate institute jointly run by the University of Washington and prestigious Tsinghua University in Beijing, will start receiving applications this fall for the first class of students for a dual master’s degree program to begin on its campus in 2017. The first on-the-ground project of a Chinese university in the United States, the program aspires to educate “the next generation of innovators” through “project-based learning.” 

China’s growing control of the movie industry also exists downstream. AMC Theaters is owned by the Dalian Wanda group, whose board members have ties to the communist government. AMC is currently finalizing a merger with Carmike Cinemas that will make it the biggest movie chain in the United States with more than 8,000 theater screens.