The Senate report, " Latin American Governments Need to 'Friend' Social Media and Technology " was written at the request of U.S. Senator Richard G. Lugar (R-IN) in order to assess the U.S. Department of State's use of digital diplomacy.

Ms. McHale emphasized the importance of engaging with Muslim nations, especially now during the anti-government upheaval in the Arab world. “In Egypt or Tunisia or in other places in the Middle East right now, they are not focused on al Qaeda. They are focused on the transition of their countries,” she said.

The President isn’t the only one engaging Americans on Twitter. On June 28, the notice went out from the State Department’s spokesman that Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy Judith McHale would field her first “Twitter Q & A” the following morning.

With the proliferation of information technology across all societies, people around the world are participating in shaping the political lives of their countries to an unprecedented degree. That drove us to an understanding that the United States government had to take a different approach to public diplomacy.

Using the Twitter hashtag #AskUSA, the State Department continued its digital media outreach Wednesday with a Q & A conducted entirely on Twitter in 10 languages.

In a related high-profile "Brand USA" job opening, the U.S. State Department is looking for someone to replace former Discovery Communications CEO Judith McHale, when she leaves her position as Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs on July 1st.

When students study in the United States, they return to their homes with a greater understanding of the United States and our people. And very often, they return to become government officials or business leaders in their home countries. This helps solidify the relationship between our nations and pays dividends of friendship and partnership for decades.

Study abroad programs are not only a chance for students to expand their cultural and linguistic horizons, but are important in promoting long-term international stability, according to U.S. State Department Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Judith McHale.