Educational Diplomacy Research Articles

Educational Diplomacy of Islamic Republic of Iran as the Soft Power Strategy in the Middle East

Nowadays, many countries are trying to increase their soft power authority using the university communication facilities. Educational exchanges and the creation of university branches in different parts of the world, especially in countries where there are common cultural fields, give these countries the opportunity to interact with elites and students expand their influence. The university sector, as the most important and effective branch in creating the future of a country, will have a great impact on understanding and cultural alignment between nations.In this regard, one of the important regions that have a lot of common cultural identity with the Islamic Republic of Iran is the Middle East region. This article aims to answer the question of how the Islamic Republic of Iran can use its academic capabilities as the educational diplomacy in order to promote its position as soft power in the Middle East. Accordingly, Iran can use the cultural capacities, the Persian language, the common background of civilization and the capability of its higher education, especially in the field of university exchanges to empower its soft power authority in the region.

Geopolitical Implications of Educational Diplomacy: The Fulbright Program, 1958–2023

This article combines archival research and critical discourse analysis to examine 33 evaluation and report documents that evaluate the effectiveness of the Fulbright Program from 1958–2023. Specifically, the study employs argumentation analysis to understand the underlying ideological strategies used to discursively construct the Fulbright Program's multiple purposes. The study finds that the documents argue that education and mutual understanding are ephemeral concepts, the Fulbright Program has geopolitical justifications, and academic disciplines are a source of geopolitical power. This approach to analyzing the Fulbright Program's historical documents provides a model for understanding educational diplomacy schemes that use higher education as a geopolitical tool.

Academic Mobility in the Context of the Modern Tourism Development

The article examines the impact of the modern tourism sphere on social mobility in general and, in particular, on professional and academic mobility. The purpose of the article is to construct a descriptive characteristic of the formation of academic mobility (at the regional and global levels) in the context of the development of the modern tourism sphere, realized through the combination of educational and tourism spheres, and where communicativeness and foreign language competence become important feathers of the modern competent young specialist in the tourism sphere. Research methods. During the research, general scientific and empirical techniques based on a systemic approach were applied. General methods of generalization and comparison were also used in the work process. Results. As the result of the conducted analysis, the interdependence of the development of educational and tourism spheres has been defined in the conditions of professional and academic mobility, when the influence of «knowledge diplomacy» and cultural exchange between all subjects of academic mobility occur. The author of the article states that the tourism sphere in the conditions of globalization, openness of countries, unification, and standardization was able to create a global tourist space, which includes more than 150 countries of the world. Conclusions. Today, long distance moving/traveling has become common (opening the new opportunities for social, professional, and educational mobility), this has been used during the creation and further functioning of global and/or regional educational centers, where the training process creates conditions for acquiring a high level of linguistic (non-native) competence, and the ability to work in a multicultural, multinational team. At the same time, there is a cultural exchange between subjects of the educational process; the acquired knowledge and experience remain and influence the further behavior of a future political and military figure in one's country (the new elite) who studied abroad. Also, studying in such centers transforms the moral and psychological state along with the social communication of students, teachers, scientists, and young professionals. In addition, staying and getting an education in the specified centers contributes to the formation of a new global elite, which becomes cosmopolitan and, upon returning home, perceives the surrounding world in a different way, and builds relations with neighboring countries. That is, there is a practical implementation of the concept of «educational diplomacy», which further affects traditional diplomacy between countries that are part of the relevant educational space, and this, in turn, makes it possible to form a new agenda for solving problems through joint efforts, as well as work on joint projects. At the same time, the modern global tourism sphere is constantly expanding the geography for new education, working under the condition of high communicative competence of the student of education, a young specialist, and knowledge of foreign languages at a level not lower than B2.

DIPLOMASI PENDIDIKAN SABAH BRIDGE DALAM MEMENUHI HAK PENDIDIKAN BAGI ANAK PEKERJA MIGRAN INDONESIA DI SABAH, MALAYSIA

This research was conducted to describe the role of Sabah Bridge in conducting educational diplomacy in fulfilling the educational rights of Indonesian migrant workers' children through educational diplomacy. Qualitative research methods, literature studies, interview techniques, and educational diplomacy theory involving non-government actors were carried out. The results of the study show that there are three results from Sabah Bridge's educational diplomacy with related parties: (1) the Indonesian government built the Kota Kinabalu Indonesian school in Malaysia; (2) immigration cooperation between the two countries to facilitate documents needed by PMI children; and (3) Sabah Bridge and the Government of Indonesia provide repatriation scholarships to continue higher education in Indonesia. This research confirms that through diplomacy non-state actors can contribute to the national interests of their countries

Implementasi Diplomasi Pendidikan dan Diplomasi Budaya melalui Program Indonesian International Student Mobility Awards (IISMA)

Amidst the rapid influx of technology, the Indonesian government must prepare for the future evolution of culture and job skills. One of the realizations of this preparation is through the implementation of the Merdeka Belajar — Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) policy. This research discusses how educational diplomacy and cultural diplomacy are implemented through the Indonesian International Student Mobility Awards (IISMA), one of the flagship programs of MBKM. Using a descriptive qualitative method based on literature review, in-depth interviews, and observation, the authors describe this phenomenon through the concepts of soft power and public diplomacy. The results of this research indicate that the implementation of IISMA aims to build nation branding and a positive image of Indonesia in the eyes of the world, as well as to accelerate the improvement of education quality in Indonesia and promote cultural diversity. This program is a correct step towards achieving peaceful foreign policy goals and prioritizing human resource investment, although overall results require a long-term process.

Soft Power, Modernization, and Security: US Educational Foreign Policy Toward Authoritarian Spain in the Cold War

AbstractCold War strategic priorities led the United States to establish an enduring military alliance with General Francisco Franco's dictatorship in Spain between 1953 and 1975. This article examines the educational diplomacy carried out by the US government during the 1960s and early 1970s to foster Spain's stable modernization through the training of national development elites and the dissemination of US educational ideas. The work surveys US educational, informational, and cultural programs aimed at shaping an educational framework conducive to the expansion and legitimization of a US-oriented socioeconomic liberalization in Spain. On the one hand, this US soft power strategy sought to attract those groups who could play an important role in the capitalist modernization of the educational and economic structures of the Iberian country. On the other hand, it sought to reduce the identification of the United States with Franco's dictatorship and to link the image of the American superpower to the hopes for progress of the Spanish people. All of this was pursued in order to preserve US defensive interests in Spain. The piece also discusses US assistance to the crucial 1970 Spanish General Education Law, which allows us to explore how the US ideology of development and education was received by Spanish educational audiences. Thus, by delving deeper into the intersection between cultural diplomacy, international development, and the history of education, we aim to contribute to the integration of education into the histories of modernization and to deepen our understanding of US educational foreign policy in the Cold War.

Indonesian Cultural Diplomacy and Education in The Philippines in 2011-2019

Education Diplomacy and Cultural Diplomacy has a strategic role in the public diplomacy of the Indonesian state. In the interaction of international relations, the formation of phenomena such as the partnership between various components of society has made the situation of the current global relations system increasingly colorful. It can also see that the role of diplomacy in this section is not inferior to the practice of public diplomacy adopted by the state. For example, in the field of education, the participation of scholars in the development of public diplomacy will accelerate the improvement of the quality of human resources in Indonesia and Filipina. This method of diplomacy can also be carried out through student exchange to the Philippines, art performances and cultural performances of the Indonesian state, discussions with lecturers & teachers, and much more. There is also uniqueness in implementing this diplomacy, such as cooperation, which leads to mutual benefit, respect, and appreciation. In addition, educational & cultural diplomacy can also provide new ideas. This unique idea leads to solving problems within the scope of international relations. Therefore, Indonesia must improve its cultural & educational Diplomacy in Filipina country.

SCIENCE DIPLOMACY IN THE CONTEXT OF SOCIO-CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATION

The article is devoted to the problem of development of scientific diplomacy of educational institutions by means of creative cooperation. The main task of scientific diplomacy to form the image of the educational institution and interpersonal relations of all participants in the educational process is substantiated. Attention is paid to the communicative activity as a phenomenon of scientific creativity; the theoretical content of the concepts of "diplomacy", "communicative culture", "educational diplomacy" is considered; diagnostics of the readiness of educational institutions for the development of educational and scientific diplomacy is carried out. The conducted analysis of the essence of pedagogical interaction in an educational institution allows us to conclude that the concept of "educational diplomacy" is a rather complex and multifaceted concept that is used in various spheres of human activity, covers a large number of objects and phenomena, as it is manifested in the educational process, personal interaction, technological processes, communications, etc. The article also pays attention to the development of science diplomacy, peculiarities of its implementation and influence on the generation of international initiatives in the globalized world. Using a comparative methodology, the approaches to understanding science diplomacy in domestic and foreign discourse are analyzed, taking into account the existing practice of its application. It is established that science diplomacy, as a type of public diplomacy, serves as a means of promoting and protecting the national interests of the state, and also plays a regulatory role in a complex system of international interaction. At the same time, science diplomacy can serve to solve specific foreign policy tasks of regional importance – first of all with neighboring countries in the fields of ecology, forecasting and elimination of the consequences of natural and man-made disasters, mining and rational use of marine natural resources, in the social and humanitarian sphere. The availability of permanent and sufficient funding for bilateral scientific projects on such topics, especially with neighboring countries, can actually be a manifestation of scientific diplomacy for establishing good international relations. Developing the institution of science diplomacy, it is extremely important to maintain a balance of interaction between scientific and political components, to prevent the use of political tools in the scientific sphere. It is also extremely important that scientific and diplomatic goals remain transparent to avoid manipulation of science for political purposes and to prevent politicization of science. The results of the study give grounds to assert that the development of educational diplomacy is a priority area of personal development and professional development of scientists and teachers of educational institutions, based on psychological and pedagogical theory and practice and focused on subject-subject relations in work. This direction is consistently implemented in the process of studying in the system of postgraduate pedagogical education by acquiring the necessary competencies, gradual improvement of communicative qualities and accumulation of experience in communicative interaction.

«МЯГКАЯ СИЛА» СОВРЕМЕННОЙ РОССИИ В КОНТЕКСТЕ РАЗВИТИЯ ОБРАЗОВАТЕЛЬНО-ПРОСВЕТИТЕЛЬСКОГО И НАУЧНО-ИССЛЕДОВАТЕЛЬСКОГО «ТРЕКОВ» ОБЩЕСТВЕННОЙ ДИПЛОМАТИИ

The article highlights the role of educational and scientific diplomacy as important dimensions of public diplomacy and promotion of Russian "soft power". The author considers cultural enlightenment as one of the semantic platforms for increasing the productivity of the internal and external cultural policy of the state; as one of the examples of building up the potential of the Russian “soft power” in the positioned “focus” of analysis, the experience of the staff of the Taganrog (Pedagogical) Institute named after A.P. Chekhov (branch) of the Rostov State University of Economics (RSUE) in the context of active development and enrichment of the educational content of educational and scientific diplomacy in the framework of a wide range of international cooperation programs.

Science and Education Diplomacy amid Martial Law in Ukraine as an Instrument of Public Diplomacy

The article deals with science and education diplomacy as an area of public diplomacy. The author explores the notion of education diplomacy and analyses the education diplomacy-related activities of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Since the start of the full-scale russian invasion of Ukraine, the active international engagement of the University with foreign partners and scientific establishments allowed the institution to activate the mechanisms of preserving the scientific community, develop algorithms of consistent action for supporting Ukrainian scientists and preserving the student community of the University. Since 24 February 2022, the University has been elaborating novel approaches to international cooperation and internationalisation of higher education at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv to prevent brain drain, coordinate the initial outburst of academic mobility, coordinate joint scientific research and preserve full affiliation with the University. The implementation of an innovative and creative model of education diplomacy at the University represents the reaction of education and science to the challenges, threats and education and science needs of society amid martial law. Particular emphasis is placed on the pluralistic institutional model of educational diplomacy, whereas its interdisciplinary character stably remains an impetus for the modernisation of the education process in the realm of international cooperation. International cooperation of the University is an integral part of the system of international relations in Ukraine, a tool for developing academic mobility and increasing international influence through the dissemination of culture, language, knowledge and technology. Keywords: science and education diplomacy, education diplomacy, public diplomacy, subjects of public diplomacy, international cooperation.

Political contexts of the "soft power", cultural and educational diplomacy of the european countries through channels of local-global interactions

The use of "soft power" as the set of extensive organizational and project tools by the conventional bodies of the European Union and leading European countries (Great Britain, Germany, France, Spain) for informal promotion of their national interests and common European values in third countries, including Russia, is being examined. Existence of the EU as itself in the comprehensive configuration and with the current ideological principles serves not so much as an example and a role model but as an object of aspiration of both the political elites of non-EU countries and their ordinary population. Despite the notorious disagreements among some of its members on certain political issues EU demonstrates solidarity in adherence to the principles, norms and rules developed over decades for socio-economic and cultural-humanitarian integration. Considered national language programs, cultural and educational initiatives have a common feature that the studied foreign language fully reflects the life of its “native” land. Moreover, textbooks and teaching aids in most cases contain value orientations of the people or value agenda of the whole country. All of them are designed to train foreigners in a variety of majors: as a result, most exchange students participate therein for their capabilities expansion, personal capital increasement and possible further employment in the country of study, based on the expected high level of income and everyday life. Conclusion is drawn about the disproportion of the significant resources directed by individual European states and the central EU bodies to promote common European cultural and political values, and the relatively modest efforts of the Russian government to expand the “global” Russian world towards the “local” areas which historically and civilizationally gravitate to Russia.

Academic Diplomacy in Relations between Russia and Pacific Asia countries

Analysts usually consider only strategic, geopolitical, or economic aspects of Russia’s turn to the East. Humanitarian contacts and public diplomacy, including academic diplomacy, remain mainly on the periphery of research on the Asian vector of Russian foreign policy. Despite significant achievements in educational cooperation with non-Western countries during the Soviet period, after the end of the bipolar period, Russia turned to European academic diplomacy. To some extent, it helped Russia move forward in educational and research cooperation with the EU. However, it did not help remove all the stumbling blocks on Russia’s way to internationalize its education and science. Alongside interaction with Asia, which became home to many world-class universities by the 20th and 21st centuries, Russia’s cooperation with Europe has significantly lagged.Nevertheless, as the current situation demonstrates, a more proactive Russian academic and educational diplomacy in Asia is essential for successful economic cooperation and a comprehensive Russian presence in Asia. The paper, therefore, seeks to analyze the dynamics of Russian approaches to educational diplomacy, based on the qualitative and quantitative assessments to scrutinize the main trends of the higher education development in Asia and to define the current state and prospects of Russia’s educational cooperation with Pacific Asia. The paper argues that to be successful, Russia’s turn to the East must have a better-developed educational component, which considers the newest trends of higher education development at the international level. These steps are essential for keeping Russian education competitive and implementing Russian foreign policy in the current circumstances.

Higher Education as a Bridge between China and Nepal: Mapping Education as Soft Power in Chinese Foreign Policy

In this globalized world, education has become an important medium to enhance people-to-people contact. The Delores report of the International Commission on Education for the 21st century highlights the enormous potential of higher education to use globalization as a resource for bridging the knowledge gap and enriching cross-cultural dialogue. As a major contributor to soft power and an important field of public diplomacy, international education can have a wealth of advantages, including the ability to generate commercial value, promote a country’s foreign policy goals and interests, and contribute to economic growth and investment. The People’s Republic of China, well-known for being the world’s most populous nation and the global economic powerhouse, prioritizes the internationalization of the country’s higher education system. China is looking to expand its higher education program and carry out its diplomatic project in South Asia. In this sense, the South Asian zone, especially Nepal, is significant for China, where its educational diplomacy is playing as a “bridge between Sino- Nepal relations.” In this review, we describe the place and priority of “Education” in China’s foreign policy; explore China’s mediums of investment in Nepal’s education sector; and highlight the importance of educational aid in Sino-Nepal relations. Chinese educational aid to Nepal takes many forms, where Nepali students and officials engage with Chinese investment to enhance their career prospects and the education system in Nepal.

ACADEMIC DIPLOMACY OF EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS' HEADS AS A TOOL OF CREATIVE COOPERATION

The article is devoted to the problem of educational institutions' heads’ academic diplomacy development by creative cooperation means. The main task of educational diplomacy in forming the educational institution image and all participants' interpersonal relations in the educational process is substantiated. The attention is focused on the educational institutions' heads' communicative activity as a phenomenon and creativity pedagogy subject; the educational institutions' heads' creativity directions are substantiated; considered the concepts theoretical content of «diplomacy», «communicative culture», «educational diplomacy», «creativity»; diagnostics the readiness of educational institutions' leaders and teachers for the educational diplomacy development as a tool for the creativity pedagogy was carried out. The diplomatic qualities of the leader and teachers of an educational institution are characterized, which provide an opportunity for the manifestation of their own creative abilities and characteristics, which encourage the creative potentials to be processed in a high-quality, enrich them with mental new formations, creative activity experience, and creative abilities, and also develop communicative interaction. The direction of interaction between the educational process participants on the dialogue basis and the head preparation for the creation of psychological and pedagogical conditions, concerning the creative educational activity of students, with educational diplomacy application, communication methods and receptions of their creative activity is defined. Pedagogical creativity occupies a special place among different types of creativity, because it determines the dynamic development vectors of mankind all creative processes, and the creative nature development is determined by communication and increase in communicative culture. The peculiarity of any communicative process – the process as a result of which a qualitatively new one is created – is that not only man, the creator influences his own creativity result, but also the subject of creative interaction contributes to further human development. That is why in the pedagogical interaction process the creative development of the educational institutions' heads is both their activity purpose and the creative development means of the leader's personality, increasing his professional competence and communicative skills level. Thus, creativity leads to professional and personal self-realization of the leader in the management process.

Iran’s Educational Diplomacy in the Muslim World: Activities of Al-Mustafa International University in Malaysia and Afghanistan

Ayatollah Khomeini, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s spiritual leader, in the immediate days of the 1979 Revolution contemplated promoting of Shi’ite religious doctrinal values in the Muslim World. In Khomeini’s view the Islamic Republic was obliged to design a strategy to effectively instill Shi’ite core doctrinal values in young minds and within the academic community in the largely Sunnite majority Muslim states. Khomeini used the narrative of ‘exporting the revolution’ to attain this objective of the Islamic Republic. The Islamic Republic’s religious sectarian establishment’s strategy of exporting revolution among others focused on educational diplomacy that is sponsoring a host of educational initiatives such as establishment of Jāmicah al-Muṣṭafā al-Cālamīyyah or al-Mustafa International University (MIU) branches and promoting its activities across the Muslim World. MIU is a sizable university with a number of overseas branches operating across the Muslim World. This paper discusses the role of the MIU in the conduct of Islamic Republic’s educational diplomacy in Malaysia and Afghanistan in Iran’s quest for promoting Shi’ite doctrinal values, soft power and greater influence in politics of the Muslim World. A word of caution is in order. Throughout this paper, the terms ‘Irano-Islamic’ or ‘Islamic’ in the Islamic Republic of Iran’s official documents and Iranian literature refers to Shi’ite version of Islam and the declared official ideology of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Cultural Relations between Germany and Iran and its Impacts on Intellectual Movement in Iran

Cultural diplomacy is one of the tools of public diplomacy that governments are trying to attract people from those countries before attracting other governments; among different types of modern diplomacy, including public diplomacy, media diplomacy, and educational diplomacy, cultural diplomacy has a special significance. During the Qajar era, the German government began a consistent and expansive cultural activities in many countries, including Iran, by understanding the international structure affected by the two powers of Russia and the United Kingdom, as well as the proper understanding of the power of cultural diplomacy. In this paper, we try to answer the following questions: Why did the German government, contrary to its rivals in Iran, the British and Russian governments, define their foreign policy on the basis of a cultural approach? How has this cultural relationship affected the Iranian intellectual community? In response to these questions, we can state the following assumptions: “The German government is aware of the fact that in traditional societies such as Iran, cultural diplomacy based on religious feelings and religious intolerance is higher than any political and economic motive, and that this type of diplomacy is not confronted with the opposition of the two powers of Russia and Britain”. “Iranian-German cultural associations have been influential both on Iranian intellectual activists and those acting with religious backgrounds and those with stronger nationalist tendencies”.

Student-to-Student Diplomacy: Chinese International Students as a Soft-Power Tool

Chinese international students have become an increasingly visible presence around the globe, and interest in these students has consequently increased among universities, researchers, and policymakers, who often see international students as a source of increased soft power. This article questions the idea of Chinese international students as a soft-power tool. This is done through a critical discussion of the concept of soft power and the rather limited research on educational diplomacy, demonstrating that the analytical vagueness of the concept of soft power leads to an oversimplified understanding of the linkage between international students and soft power. In order to provide a more nuanced understanding of this linkage, the article examines the actual overseas experience of Chinese international students and argues that the linkage between international students and soft power is highly complicated and that these students do not necessarily constitute soft-power resources.

In Search of the Status of an Educational Great Power? Analysis of Russia’s Educational Diplomacy Discourse

This paper addresses official Russian discourse on educational diplomacy—that is, discourse that prioritizes the political rationale for internationalization of higher education. When Russia promotes its higher education abroad and recruits international students to Russian universities on the territory of the Russian Federation (RF) or abroad, it engages in educational diplomacy as part of its public diplomacy activities. Thus, in official discourse, cross-border education should also serve foreign-policy goals. Economic, cultural, and academic rationales do co-exist, but they are instrumental to the political rationale. This becomes evident with the emphasis on the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) as the “target audience” for Russia’s higher education promotion and the main recruitment area, in line with Russia’s foreign-policy priorities; and the understanding that cross-border education would help Russia to enhance its negative external image and that alumni would function as “Russian diplomats” after returning home.

Russian Cultural Statecraft in the Eurasian Space

This article is an introduction to a special issue that deals with Russia’s cultural statecraft in the Eurasian space. The contributions focus on the role of civilizational discourses, status, historical legacies and educational diplomacy in Russia’s foreign policy and in its relations with its neighbors. We have opted for the term ‘cultural statecraft’ rather than ‘soft power’ or ‘hybrid warfare’ that are frequently used when cultural aspects of Russian foreign policy are discussed, because these terms are loaded, misunderstood, and biased. Therefore we believe that a notion that is normatively more neutral but still encompassing of a variety of non-military and non-economic instruments of power is worth introducing. Statecraft puts more emphasis on the influence techniques and instrument available for the leadership and therefore sees the role of culture in foreign policy more from a top-down rather than bottom-up perspective.

Diplomacy and Education: A Changing Global Landscape

Educational diplomacy is rapidly moving beyond the realm of government sponsored initiatives to a much wider array of actors and activities. Institutions are actively developing their own brand of international relations. Governments will find it more and more difficult to dictate the nature and direction of educational diplomacy. In this baffling array of cross-border activity, senders and receivers of this kind of diplomacy need to adhere to a clear policy of mutuality if all sides are to benefit from the rising tide of global engagement.