There is general agreement the core role of public diplomacy is to further foreign policy and to promote our national interests. The need to sustain a vibrant international education sector is clearly in our national interest.

Australia operates in a vacuum in international education and public diplomacy. But in their recent paper, Bond University researchers argue for more active public diplomacy leadership, improved evaluation and expanded dialogue within the sector and broader community. Such strategies would maximise the soft-power potential of Australia's international education and contribute to our future international positioning.

The 24-year-old host of "OMG Meiyu," a trendy, cross cultural English teaching feature produced by Voice of America’s Mandarin Service, has become an overnight sensation in China...More than 2-million people have now clicked on Jessica Beinecke’s quirky videos, which teach Chinese speakers about common English expressions used by young Americans.

It might be the end of American hegemony in the global political and economic order, but unemployed and underpaid Americans can at least take heart at today's news. Social networking site Badoo.com conducted a poll of 30,000 people in 15 countries to name the coolest nationality. Despite a sinking economy, pathetic politics, and increasingly suspect pop culture exports -- Americans are still number 1.

As Russia tries to undo its reputation as the most unwelcoming tourist destination in Europe, Moscow is investing $3 billion to make the country more enticing to visitors and has set aide $82 million for its 200 nature preserves, some of which are unique natural wonders that have never been open to even the Russian public, much less foreign tourists.

A research carried out by The News International shows that there are nearly 510 million Chinese-speaking people using the internet currently—-the second most after those who talk in English. Mandarin is the most widely spoken language on earth as over 1.372 billion humans residing on the planet express themselves in this lingo.

Arab states engage in far too little outreach, even to other Arabs close to home. Perhaps this is because they have been unimpressed – and justifiably so – by much of the public diplomacy that has been sent their way...But the Arab Awakening of 2011 has captured the world’s interest, and failing to capitalize on that would mean missing a valuable opportunity to move the Arab states more fully into the global mainstream.