The Foundation for Art and Preservation in Embassies (FAPE) [will] provide "permanent works of American art for U.S. embassies worldwide, contributing to the U.S. Department of State's mission of cultural diplomacy and cross-cultural understanding within the diplomatic community and the international public […] Exciting cultural diplomacy initiatives can be seen through their site-specific commissions.

[…] The Open Hands Initiative will host its 5th international people-to-people exchange to foster dialogue and goodwill between the U.S. and developing countries. […]The three-week exchange […] will provide 16 masters level students in public health, from the U.S. and Colombia, a cultural and educational opportunity that will encourage dialogue and increase mutual understanding around public health issues [...]

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.

December 17 marked one year since President Obama announced historic steps to begin the process of normalizing relations with Cuba. One of the most exciting opportunities opened by the Administration’s policy is strengthening our ties with the Cuban people, including through educational exchanges.

Professor Joseph Nye and former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage correctly pointed out that to solve the biggest problems we need a mix of hard and soft power — which they termed “smart power.” […] What would a smart power campaign directed against the challenges represented by the Islamic State look like?

More than 124,000 Chinese undergraduates are studying in the United States, according to the Institute of International Education. Many are affluent […] but a growing number are […] children from lower middle-class families who are looking for an alternative to an overcrowded and unforgiving Chinese educational system.

“Bienvenue en France, la Startup Republique!” For the past 18 months or so, since LaFrenchTech began to make noise abroad, I began hearing talk of the Startup Republique. [...] Most attempts at finding patriotism in France have been dismissed as personal branding; however, when BPIFrance’s Romain Serman published “France, the new Startup Factory” last month, it garnered enough positive momentum that I had to sit down and have a chat with Romain.