Around the globe, India has been known for its economic, military and nuclear power. Moreover, India has been largely known for its hard power. However, in recent years, there seems to be shift...Show moreAround the globe, India has been known for its economic, military and nuclear power. Moreover, India has been largely known for its hard power. However, in recent years, there seems to be shift towards soft power. The current Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, is a great advocate of soft power as can be seen in his implementation of soft power in his foreign policies. India’s soft power is a force to be reckoned with as it may even exceed the its hard power capabilities. From Bollywood to yoga to Buddhism, India’s soft power is making way for India to establish a diplomatic presence in the world order. Furthermore, its effects can be seen on the manner in which India implements and uses its foreign policy and diplomacy. Therefore, this Masters thesis will explore how the Indian government is using India’s soft power and how it has used it in the past, how it influences its foreign policy, and diplomacy strategy, why this shift occurred and how it has influenced its relations abroad.Show less
In the late 20th century it was thought that religion and idea of nation-state would disappear from the scene of world politics. However, the contrary process took place and neither the idea of the...Show moreIn the late 20th century it was thought that religion and idea of nation-state would disappear from the scene of world politics. However, the contrary process took place and neither the idea of the nation nor of the religion has faded away. This thesis aims to examine complex history of Islam in Georgia and recent trends in the development of nationalism and the rise of the religious affiliations amongst both Christian and Muslim Georgians. Consequently, this thesis explores the existing narratives about Georgian Muslims and finds that the notion of ‘Georgianness’ is linked to Orthodox Christianity and that this idea has a long history.Show less
This thesis is a study of the phenomenon of nation branding and how the concept has been applied in the Republic of Kosovo. In a world where countries compete with one another, where having a good...Show moreThis thesis is a study of the phenomenon of nation branding and how the concept has been applied in the Republic of Kosovo. In a world where countries compete with one another, where having a good image internationally is seen as an important element, nation branding can serve as a good strategy. However, over the last decade, the concept of ‘nation branding’ has been emerging rapidly and at the same time, it has also faced criticism among scholars. Nation branding is a strategy that governments take in order to create and improve the image of their nation in the eyes of the world. Therefore, when the government of Kosovo launched the nation branding campaign ‘Kosovo – The Young Europeans’ the purpose was to represent the youth of Kosovo and positively brand the image of the country. The campaign in itself brought mix feelings and different views among people. Therefore, the aim of this thesis is to find out what is the impression of Kosovars regarding this initiative. What are their thoughts about the campaign? Did it have an impact? Nine interviews have been conducted for the purpose of this research. Whether the campaign had an impact, whether it brought something new or whether it was worth the money, these are some of the questions that were asked to the respondents.Show less
