“Hanban’s website reveals that Confucius Institutes are present all over the world, with 135 institutes in Asia, 187 in Europe, 20 in Oceania, 61 in Africa, and 138 in America and specifically 75...Show more“Hanban’s website reveals that Confucius Institutes are present all over the world, with 135 institutes in Asia, 187 in Europe, 20 in Oceania, 61 in Africa, and 138 in America and specifically 75 in the U.S. In 2009, the website reveals that the institutes offered 9,000 Chinese courses on a worldwide scale, reaching a total enrollment of 260,000 people. However, Confucius Institutes are increasingly surrounded by worldwide criticism due to their affiliation with the Chinese Communist Party, or CCP. Many U.S. politicians and academics are raising concerns about issues regarding academic freedom and more recently of a potential political agenda being carried out by the party through the institutes. The NGO Human Rights Watch reported in January 2020 that 22 CIs have closed in the U.S. since August 2018 after the ‘John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019’ was signed by the Congress (Legerwood, 2020).”Show less
“This paper explores aspects of Russian cultural diplomacy in Greece during the 21st century. The focus is on features of tourism, religion and education and how these interact with Greek politics....Show more“This paper explores aspects of Russian cultural diplomacy in Greece during the 21st century. The focus is on features of tourism, religion and education and how these interact with Greek politics. The analysis looks at recent trends and tries to scrutinize the prevalent narrative that Greece and Russia are two traditional allies. Despite fertile ground for an effective cultural diplomacy policy, Russia does not capitalize on the sway and favorable view it has in Greece due to several factors. Especially in the last decade and since the onset of the Greek financial crisis, economic ties have not deepened. While there is much potential for the development of cooperation, it must take place in diverse fields and move away from the politicized domain of energy.”Show less
In 2008, the same year Barack Obama got elected president, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) was launched with the release of Iron Man 1. The launch of the MCU introduced a new era with regard to...Show moreIn 2008, the same year Barack Obama got elected president, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) was launched with the release of Iron Man 1. The launch of the MCU introduced a new era with regard to super hero movies. Likewise, the election of Barack Obama promised a different direction for the United States foreign policy. Obama advocated using soft power and diplomacy in order to solve the challenges he had inherited from the George W. Bush Administration. This paper looks at the extent to which Phase One of the MCU reflects, and as such aids, the approach of the Obama administration to foreign policy.Show less
This thesis investigates how heritage is constructed in ways that disadvantage and exclude women. This heritagization process has tremendous effects on the everyday lives of women. Through a...Show moreThis thesis investigates how heritage is constructed in ways that disadvantage and exclude women. This heritagization process has tremendous effects on the everyday lives of women. Through a feminist human rights approach, I have examined in what ways this heritage-making process infringes upon the rights of women, taking Japan as the context for this study. Japan is a global player in the international community, promoting culture as a form of cultural diplomacy (soft power), and brands itself as a modern and peaceful nation state. At the same time, they claim to promote women’s empowerment and fund several international programmes. However, their heritage practices serves the purpose of consolidating their national identity, often to the detriment of women. The issues surrounding the memorialization of Comfort Women is discussed, an issue that is highly political and controversial. Heritage managers are made aware of the impact decisions have on what to preserve as heritage, and whose interest it serves, and how to be inclusive in representing heritage. The second case study contextualizes the practice of excluding women from sacred sites, and names the effects of elevating the pilgrimage Kii Mountain range to World Heritage Status, thereby legitimizing the exclusion of women as tradition. The study shows that the actual heritage practice is more nuanced and doubt is places on UNESCO’s commitment to gender equality. The importance of applying a gender lens to heritage analysis is stressed, guided by the International Women’s Convention (CEDAW), and heritage managers are made aware of their responsibility in promoting just and diverse narratives and engaging women at all decision-making levels.Show less
Joseph Nye's concept of soft power and it's universalist framework have been used in the past to analyse goverment strategies. This thesis compares Chinese and Japanese soft power strategies and to...Show moreJoseph Nye's concept of soft power and it's universalist framework have been used in the past to analyse goverment strategies. This thesis compares Chinese and Japanese soft power strategies and to what extent they follow Nye's soft power framework.Show less
