The Academy of International Affairs North Rhine-Westphalia, in partnership with the Representation of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia to the European Union, invites policymakers, practitioners and researchers to a workshop examining the role of European regions in strengthening the Union’s soft power and cultural diplomacy. The event takes place at the NRW Representation in Brussels, against the backdrop of the European Commission’s ongoing work to integrate the 2016 Joint Communication on international cultural relations within the broader Culture Compass for Europe. The workshop addresses four interconnected themes: the distinctive contributions that regional actors can make to European external relations; the soft power dimensions of higher education and science diplomacy; the evolving role of national institutes of culture and arm’s length bodies; and the implications of AI and digital transformation for public diplomacy practice. Structured panel discussions and plenary debate will consider how multi-level governance might be harnessed more effectively to build European influence and resilience in a contested international environment. An evening programme will provide opportunities for informal exchange. Further information are available from Stuart MacDonald, AIA NRW Fellow.

The role of culture for the prestige and relative status of countries is well-known. While that kind of soft power remains difficult to measure in terms of its actual influence on international politics, cultural diplomacy is an established instrument of states’ foreign policy. The dominance of Western culture has long been contested, as Indian cinema, Japanese kawaii culture and the Korean Wave, to name but a few, have gained traction, not only in Asia but also in other parts of the world, including the West. This has boosted the visibility of some key states and elevated their global status. With the return of the Korean mega group BTS to the stage in the near future, for example, another economic boost is expected, and South Korea is projected to experience gains in tourism and investment. Thus is has notably benefitted from its soft power. Studying select cases such as South Korea and as well as discussing insights from culture diplomacy actors of European countries like Germany and Great Britain and others, the experts at this event will debate the potential of cultural diplomacy in influencing foreign policy and draw on the idea of soft power to explore strategies for the future. The experts include Dr Dongho Han (Korea Institute for National Unification, Seoul), who will talk about the role of public diplomacy regarding Korean reunification, Dr Natalia Grincheva (Lasalle University, Singapore), who will present her data that forecasts the impact of the Korean Wave, and many other experts in the field of soft power and cultural diplomacy. From data-based projections of soft power to traditional approaches of cultural diplomacy, the lessons that can be learned have interesting implications for diplomacy and foreign policy more generally. The event is open to students, academics, policymakers, cultural and economic stakeholders, and the wider public interested in contemporary approaches to soft power and culture politics. Programme

This year’s International Security Forum Bonn (ISFB) brings together top experts and practitioners to tackle pressing questions about transatlantic relations and the future of European security. Under the patronage of Nathanael Liminski, Minister for Federal, European and International Affairs and Media and Head of the State Chancellery of North Rhine-Westphalia, the forum—organized by CASSIS with partners like AIA NRW and the Institut Français NRW—will run from October 29–31. Highlights include high-level discussions on “Ruptures Waiting for Responses” and a Bonn Future Lab exploring the security, economic, and governance dimensions of space. The event blends expert panels with hands-on workshops, aiming to generate forward-looking strategies for Europe and Germany.