Brett Bruen highlighted initiatives he and colleagues undertook at the University of Tikrit in 2009 to counter extremism in Iraq. [...] The example was meant to demonstrate how undervalued centers of learning are in wars of ideas and to advocate for U.S. public diplomacy strategies that leverage inherent American advantages in academic English and entrepreneurship.

The closing of Al Jazeera America, expected in April, is a sad conclusion to a project that was by turns uplifting and inspiring as well as troubling and depressing. Its demise offers a lesson in both the limitations of public diplomacy and the obstacles to providing high-quality television journalism.

Michelle Obama doesn't accompany her husband that frequently when he travels abroad. But when it comes to his historic trip to Cuba, it's different. [...] The first lady will accompany President Obama to both his visit to the island nation next month, as well as his subsequent two-day stop in Argentina. According to White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes, her presence serves to advance public diplomacy.

The Obama administration is taking its fight against ISIS to Hollywood, consulting with some of the world’s best storytellers for tips on how to win the battle for hearts and minds. [...] The outreach is part of a revamped administration strategy to counter ISIS’s magnetic pull for some young people in the Middle East and beyond, working with local partners, establishing a new Washington-based communications center and, now, drawing on the deep well of movie maker experience. 

Spread across three weekends, the Tournées French Film Festival is returning to screen a vibrant cross-section of dramas, thrillers, comedies and one animated film surrounding murder, treachery and illicit activities.
Dubbed “C’est une crime!” or “It’s a crime,” audiences will follow the thread through award-winning cinema brought to Northern Arizona University to share in francophone culture.

An affiliate of the largest and most powerful Kurdish party in Syria, the Democratic Union Party (PYD), opened its first official mission abroad — in Moscow. Given the amount of military and political support the PYD has received from the United States, this decision is likely to be received with some shock and confusion in the West. But a closer examination of the PYD’s historical experience and core interests suggests that the politics behind a potential realignment with Moscow makes strategic sense.

The TEA Programme in Pakistan, sponsored by the US Department of State, has sent more than 150 Pakistani teachers to the United States since 2012. The programme has been designed to build on teachers’ existing expertise and equip them with a better understanding of lesson planning, methodology, and the use of technology in teaching. Programme participants develop these proficiencies, while also learning about diversity and culture in the United States.