Global events such as the Beijing Olympics and the Shanghai Expo have provided an opportunity for China to show to the world a new face, and big investments in the developing world have seen China's image improve among the Africans and South Americans.

The social media revolution is taking place not just in Tahrir Square and Arab streets, but also in foreign ministries around the world as policymakers try to grasp the demands of real-time diplomacy.

The world’s media focused on the atrocities of the Syrian conflict prior to Euro 2012 – and how quickly, it would appear, that we have forgotten the suffering of others just because we are watching another TV channel...Could we now be described as being subjects of ‘compassion fatigue’..?

The strength of China's soft power within the emerging world is primarily driven by the growth of its multinational powerhouses, booming tourism and the rapid expansion and ranking of its universities, said the report, with the country ranking first among all emerging economies in these three key aspects.

The United States and Russia are increasing people-to-people connections through education, culture, sports, media, and other professional interactions. Interaction among NGOs, artists and arts groups, businesses, academics and young athletes is growing.

London's “world-class” universities can replace the military in projecting Britain’s influence overseas and bring long-term economic benefits to the UK, a top London academic said today...Universities could play a vital role in improving Britain’s future by selling their expertise to countries such as China, India, and expanding nations in central Asia and the Gulf.

China ranks top among emerging economies in exercising intangible power, according to the soft power index report released by consulting firm Ernst & Young...A country's intangible power varies in terms of global image, global integration and global integrity, each of which include several factors such as media exports, tourism and carbon emissions, according to Ernst & Young.

Confucius Institutes (CIs) and Confucius Classrooms (CCs) have mushroomed in the US since the establishment of the first CI at the University of Maryland in 2004. Currently there are 81 CIs and more than 300 CCs in the US. Since its establishment, the CI-UHM has contributed greatly to the US, both educationally and economically, via academic activities and cultural exchanges.