Witold Waszczykowski’s public diplomacy seeks to explain Poland’s new government to critical world. Witold Waszczykowski, the foreign minister, sought to address concerns voiced in Brussels about judicial independence and media freedom and to win over Berlin and London.

U.S. needs more money for more soft power outreach abroad, but Congress and President must first reform Broadcasting Board of Governors. [...] We don't spend enough money on U.S. government propaganda abroad now, and we did not spend enough money on it during the Cold War, but we were spending money and getting the message across much more effectively during the Cold War than we do now. 

Queen Elizabeth II, who turns 90 in April, carried out 306 engagements in Britain last year, a tally in The Times newspaper showed Friday. The queen, who became Britain’s longest serving monarch in September after more than 63 years, also conducted 35 engagements abroad, having paid state visits to Germany and Malta.

Online learning is a powerful asset not only to universities’ individual funding and internationalisation strategies, but also countries’ soft power and the reputation of their higher education sector as a whole.

The link between the business of diplomacy and the diplomacy of business is as old as the link between trade and flag. More recent diplomatic history is replete with examples of businessmen building bridges between leaders of adversarial nations.[...] business has helped oil the wheels of diplomacy, just as diplomacy seeks to oil those of commerce.

Mark Bromilow says he needs a strong nerve as he sets about building a cultural bridge between Australia and Brazil. [...] Ahead of next year's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Australia has targeted Brazil for the major cultural festival aimed at promoting links and collaboration between the two largest nations and economies in the southern hemisphere.

A private, low-profile ‘public diplomacy’ outfit is setting out to train ‘Secret Hasbara Agents.’ But don’t worry, it’s not propaganda. A private Israeli hasbara – or “public diplomacy” – organization on Wednesday put out one of the weirdest responses yet to the incitement campaign by far-right group Im Tirzu of two weeks ago.

From the World Service to the Queen and even Norman Wisdom, Britain punches above its weight in the soft power stakes. [...] But the global soft-power reach of the UK is a phenomenon all on its own.