Beijing isn’t the only government talking about projecting “soft power” these days. TECO head Raymond Wang, Taiwan’s top representative in Manila, told the gathering that through international humanitarian efforts, particularly since Ma Ying-jeou became Taiwan’s president in 2008, “the promotion of soft power has become one of the major policies” of their government.

Taken as a whole, one can surmise that despite acknowledging the 'Asian Century' we are not properly prepared for it. Our recent leaders faced and continue to face obstacles to their soft power producing real world positive results.

At USC on April 6, the Association of Public Diplomacy Scholars held a conference on the Future of Public Diplomacy. Experts, academics, and practitioners gathered to discuss what lies ahead for the field of public diplomacy. There were a couple of major takeaways from the conference.

Sponsored by the NATO Public Diplomacy Division..."Your Ideas, Your NATO" policy workshop competition challenged students and young professionals to make recommendations on how NATO should support the long-term transition process prompted by the Arab Spring.

APDS Blogger: Aparajitha Vadlamannati

At USC on April 6, the Association of Public Diplomacy Scholars held a conference on the Future of Public Diplomacy. Experts, academics, and practitioners gathered to discuss what lies ahead for the field of public diplomacy. There were a couple of major takeaways from the conference.

As a cultural expression of the national history and real life, folk culture gradually went into people's everyday life. With the whole nation's feelings, it highlights a country's soft power. Furthermore, it is also the most concentrated expression of national spirit.

The Empowering Women and Girls Through Sports Initiative builds on Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s vision of “smart power,” which embraces the use of a full range of diplomatic tools – in this case, the game of soccer – to bring people together and foster understanding.

When presenting our age to eager students, it is already evident that history books will one day devote a chapter to the so-called "social web." Political and social historians, we imagine, will analyze how the social web impacted public institutions...