International Symposium on Cultural Diplomacy 2010

The International Symposium on Cultural Diplomacy is one of the world’s leading conferences in the fields of international relations and cultural studies. Held annually in Berlin by the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy, the event brings together renowned figures from international politics and academia to speak to an interdisciplinary audience including diplomatic and political representatives, scholars and academics, students and young professionals, and other interested stakeholders. The International Symposium 2010 will focus on the relationship between culture, international relations, and globalization through a program of lectures, panel discussions, debates, and cultural activities.

The change over the past two decades from an international system based on independent nation states to an interdependent world facing global challenges has been widely explored and analyzed. This shift has placed a higher priority on nation states working closely with one another and pursuing sustainable multilateral approaches to tackling global and regional challenges. The International Symposium 2010 will build on the foundation of these discussions by exploring the challenges that lie ahead and the complex relationship between culture, international relations, and globalization over the next two decades.
Symposium Agenda
The International Symposium 2010 will be split into three complementary parts. The program will begin by looking in greater detail at “culture” and “identity” and how these terms are used and understood today. During this part of the program participants will have the opportunity to experience Berlin’s famous “Carnival of Cultures”.

The second part of the program will build on these components by considering the role that culture plays in contemporary international relations and the process of globalization. During these three days the concepts of “cultural diplomacy” and “soft power” will also be explored in more detail.

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