Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Tara Sonenshine will travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Turkey November 27-December 1, 2012. In Sarajevo, Under Secretary Sonenshine will meet with LGBT community activists, discuss women’s empowerment with NGO leaders, and talk about U.S. foreign policy with media representatives. The Under Secretary will also meet with Youth Leadership Program students who recently returned from four weeks in the United States.

Choreographer Trey McIntyre found his recent experience with cultural exchange a subtle, complex affair--something that will surprise no one familiar with his imaginative, offbeat approach to dance making. He and his troupe went on a worldwide tour for the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs earlier this year.

Two state-owned Chinese film companies are aiming to list shares on Shanghai's stock exchange, as Beijing champions the growth of a homegrown film industry to rival Hollywood... Chinese policy makers see a vibrant film industry as an extension of what is called soft power, giving the nation cultural sway on par with its status as the world's No. 2 economy.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday morning pushed for an increase in coordination between government agencies focused on development and foreign aid, saying “If we don’t better coordinate and integrate what we’re doing, we won’t get the biggest impact.”

Following news last week that Andrew W.K. -- America's self-declared unofficial King of Partying -- would be visiting Manama, Bahrain, as a cultural ambassador to participate in a cultural exchange, the U.S. Department of State has rescinded its offer... Plans for Andrew W.K. to visit the Middle East country were first announced on his website, where he drew a parallel to mid-20th century's American Jazz Ambassadors.

A recently unearthed video shows that President Obama has greatly shifted his views on how to address terrorism, advocating for a “soft power” approach in 2004, to employing drone strikes and targeted killing of terror suspect during his Presidency.

What is the American counter-move? The Obama administration devised a scheme for a proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership that would exclude China. This magical sleight of hand is grounded in the imaginations of American policy-makers but not in reality.

Indian Ambassador to the United States Nirupama Rao visited Bluegrass Community & Technical College (BCTC) last week and spoke with college administration about the role of BCTC and ways community colleges might be adapted for India.