Last Wednesday afternoon, four thousand miles away, Wolfgang Tillmans slouched at his desk. The photographer had Skyped me from the apartment above his Berlin studio, to discuss the poster campaign he’d released that day against “Brexit,” the British referendum on quitting the European Union, slated for June 23rd. […] if the E.U. is to survive, Tillmans said, it must become fashionable.

The UK’s former minister of universities and science, David Willetts, has said outbound student mobility is essential to the country’s soft power agenda. Speaking at the International Unit’s Go International event this week, Willetts said two-way mobility programmes facilitate negotiations with overseas partners.

From the earliest moments of Barack Obama’s candidacy for president, there was an interesting debate about whether he would enhance America’s soft power in the world or not. Over the past eight years there have certainly been some data points that offer evidence of Obama’s soft power — but there has also been a legitimate debate about whether it means all that much for American foreign policy.

Despite the political dissimilarities between the UK and Russia, both the countries are now coming together to ensure a meaningful cultural relationship between them, by jointly celebrating their literary works. The British Council in Russia, which leads the UK's Year of Language and Literature 2016, have been discussing the influence of Shakespeare's works on the global culture, including that of Russia.

President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are looking forward to having an April 22 birthday lunch with Queen Elizabeth and a dinner with Prince William and Duchess Kate. [...]  “This is certainly is an important part of public diplomacy, but I think it will be one of the more pleasant aspects of the trip that the president is certainly forward to.”

At a time when the government has taken a lot of heat in parliament and the media - on tax, welfare and Europe to name but a few issues - one issue has escaped high-level political scrutiny: ministers' plans for the future of the BBC. Ask yourself this: who is sticking up for the corporation’s funding and who is fighting for its independence? 

The visit of the British royal couple, Prince William and Princess Katherine, is a demonstration of Britain’s use of soft power in buttressing the relationship with India built on a not always happy colonial past. Today’s thriving trade relationship, the interaction between millions of Indians settled in the UK and their original home are reasons enough, particularly with an eye on a possible future outside the European Union.

More than 30 young musical talents (ages 10 to 17) from the UK are in Abu Dhabi this week for a first-of-its-kind music student exchange programme between Cranleigh Abu Dhabi and its British parent school. Both students and teachers from the UK’s 150-year-old Cranleigh School will work with students in the Saadiyat Island-based Abu Dhabi school during the week-long Cranleigh Festival that will feature workshops and public performances.