Colin Riodan, vice-chancellor of the University of Essex and chair of the UK Higher Education International and Europe Unit, said this was a “recognition that universities are a key element of soft power” and that they have an important role to play in diplomacy and promoting foreign trade.

A Europe that has seen 67 years of post-war peace makes for an inviting haven for the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, who went through a harrowing conflict in the 1990s. For them, entry into the EU is still, above all, a guarantee of security, stability, and peace. In this stricken corner of Europe, the EU’s soft power is very real.

For liberals hoping for perhaps a less militarist message and a focus on diplomacy and soft power rather than the use of force as lodestars of American power ... well, last night wasn't quite their evening. That whole "changing the mindset" of U.S. foreign policy that Obama talked about in 2008 may have to wait a few more years.

...economists and political scientists of the India Shining variety have often pitched the billion plus nation as a potential soft superpower . From the curry takeover of Britain to the global yoga industry to the Booker-winning skills of its literati -- every success story has been lauded to underline India's growing clout as a soft superpower.

As the Chinese lunar calendar ushered in the Year of the Dragon on Monday, Chinese artists and cultural delegations are staging various performances around the world. The year of the Dragon, marked by this ambitious and magical Asian icon, is to witness dramatic growth of Chinese culture on the international stage.

India's metropolitan youth are gung-ho about the country's future and that's largely because of their immense belief in themselves. According to a recent poll, on the issue of which is India's biggest strength, 61% overall picked youth power, 16% each opted for "emerging economy" and "democracy" and 7% for "soft power".

This past year offered fresh proof that the world we live in is ever dynamic and that there must be new ways to think about the role the U.S. will play in the world in the coming years. USIP’s Executive VP Tara Sonenshine shared her views on the state of the world, America’s role in it, and what USIP is doing on the ground to help build peace and stability.

An asymmetric world is rising in which leaderless protesters can oust their national leader; and where one of the smallest countries in the Middle East, Qatar, can become a key player by virtue of its soft power. To address the challenges, we need to consider: the power of the people, the power of cities, and the power of countries that are regional or sub-regional locomotives of social and economic progress.