In Atlanta, you already have natural connections with your major trading partners: Canada, Mexico, Japan, United Kingdom and China,” he said during his presentation in the Tom Murphy Ballroom at the Georgia World Conference Center. But you also have connections with other metros, such as Seoul (Korea), London, Toronto, Cancun (Mexico) and Montego Bay, Jamaica, through business and tourism travel. Going forward this region must strengthen these connections and forge new connections in order to thrive in the global economy.

The Orquesta de Cámara Concierto Sur — a chamber orchestra from Cienfuegos, Cuba, on a two-week cultural exchange with the United States — along with the Northwest Sinfonietta of Tacoma, highlight the evening.

The number of students from China studying at universities across the United States has increased dramatically. According to some statistics, the number of undergraduate students from China in the U.S. has doubled in the last two years. Economists say the trend is due, in large part, to a growing middle class in China. VOA's Elizabeth Lee reports from Los Angeles county, with one of the largest Chinese student populations in the U.S. - totaling more than 4000 students.

Delegates will continue to explore the sub-working group’s three main themes: the Business of Media; the Evolving Practice and Profession of Journalism; and New Media Technologies. These themes will be encompassed in discussions on ethics, entrepreneurship and education, respectively, as well as the expanding role of social media.

Americans love football. So do the British. They are, of course, referring to two very different sports. Thanks to sports diplomacy, though, both sides of the Atlantic are starting to pay a little more attention to what the other side of the pond is watching.

Beyond our understanding of how America officially engages globally, many Americans lack basic awareness of history, governance, geography and current affairs. With the extreme focus in recent years on science, technology and math, I fear much is getting lost, and never is this more evident than in an election cycle.

Ichiro Fujisaki, Japan’s ambassador to the United States, spoke mainly about public diplomacy in one of his final appearances as ambassador here Thursday afternoon.