National Soft Power Research Articles

Construction of Social Service Ability of University Humanities and Social Sciences

Improving social service ability of university humanities and social sciences is not only the new demand responding to the major theoretical and practical problems, but also the mission of promoting the national soft power. The paper puts forward some suggestions for improving social service ability of university humanities and social sciences by describing current situation and analyzing problems, which helps improve the path so as to enhance the level of social service ability of university humanities and social sciences to a new height.

Sports Mega-Events as Part of a Nation's Soft Power Strategy: The Cases of Germany (2006) and the UK (2012)

Research Highlights and Abstract The article discusses how states are increasingly using sports mega-events as part of their ‘soft power’ strategies The limited literature on ‘soft power’ and sports mega-events fails to either explain the concept and how it pertains to sport or provide examples that operationalize the concept empirically. Further research can build on the idea of sports mega-events being used for public diplomacy; the case of Germany, it could be argued, has led many ‘emerging’ states to seek to bid for and host such events. We show how the UK—with a very different international image to Germany prior to 2006—engage in a different manner in its ‘soft power’ strategy. Finally, the macro-level concept of ‘soft power’ offers at least a partial answer to the unanswered question (in the sports studies literature) of why states host sports ‘megas’. The potential positive impact on a nation's image has moved from being a welcome consequence to a significant justification for investing in hosting sports mega-events. Mobilising Joseph Nye's concept of ‘soft power’ we empirically investigate Germany's strategic use of a sports ‘mega’ (the 2006 FIFA World Cup) to successfully alter their image among ‘foreign publics'. We then analyse the example of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games for Britain's international prestige. For both cases we draw on and analyse official government documents and newspaper sources written before and after the Games. The findings reveal the stark contrast between Germany's and Britain's sport and ‘soft power’ strategies: the former undertook a long-term, well-planned and resourced approach to altering its poor international image; the latter appeared far less concerned about capitalising on the Olympics to enhance Britain's (seemingly robust) international image.

Government Conduct: The Guiding Force for Developing National Soft Power

Only the conduct of a government that strives to serve the people that empowered it can produce governmental soft power. The soft power of a government constitutes the guiding and consolidating force for the soft power of a country. In order to give full play to these forces, great attention should be paid to the dynamic composition of soft power. In the structural system of governmental soft power, the character of the head of state is the soul while universal values constitute the soil; the concept of “small government large people” becomes the practical norm; the construction of extensive social credibility is the approach that generates governmental soft power; the moral guidance of government conduct is the fundamental way to release the function of governmental soft power; constitutional politics forms the institutional cornerstone where governmental soft power can be created and developed. Key words: Governmental soft power; The character of the head of state; Universal values; Government credibility; Moral guidance of government conduct

Private Foreign-Affiliated Universities, the State, and Soft Power: The American University of Beirut and the American University in Cairo

This article contributes to the understanding of the soft power of private foreign-affiliated universities and the interaction between such universities and the state for university soft power and national soft power. The analysis shows university soft power in their Middle East host societies and its basis of academic excellence and biculturalism. Historically, university soft power has been limited first by proselytizing and later by unpopular American foreign policy. The universities have previously undescribed reverse university soft power in the USA on behalf of the Middle East: advocating Middle East interests and raising moral, political, and financial support for education, healthcare, and development in the region. The USA has pursued national soft power through the American University of Beirut and the American University in Cairo since the 1950s. University soft power has been furthered by US government financial assistance to academic excellence, while too close association with the US government has threatened university soft power. The universities have contributed to the national soft power of the USA concerning milieu goals of attraction to education, language, and liberal norms among elites. The universities have not contributed to national soft power regarding the acceptance of unpopular US foreign policies in the Middle East, which was also not a university or US government goal.