Diplomacy and International Politics

On March 24, the Future of Diplomacy Project a seminar on cultural diplomacy with Sherrie Westin, President of Sesame Street.  For over fifty years, Sesame Street has proven itself capable of adapting to different cultures and celebrating diversity. This session examined how Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit behind Sesame Street, uses the power of media and Muppets to bring proven, locally-tailored early education to millions of children around the world across languages and cultures, while addressing challenging topics like public health, HIV awareness, and the global refugee crisis. 

Melissa Fleming, Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications at the United Nations, explains the challenges of her role in an era of profound political, social and digital fragmentation and polarization. Ms. Fleming outlines the new approach she is bringing to UN communications – one that aims not just to inform the public of what the UN does, but to engage them to care and mobilize them for action. She also explores the threats posed by misinformation, on COVID-19, climate change and so much more. Erika Manouselis, Research and Administrative Manager at the Future of Diplomacy Project, moderated this discussion.

Please join the Future of Diplomacy Project's Fisher Family Fellow, Ambassador Peter Wittig, for a virtual study group that explores how and to what extent the first 100 days of the Biden presidency has reset the transatlantic partnership.

On June 2nd, Harvard Kennedy School’s Future of Diplomacy Project and Harvard Advanced
Leadership Initiative Fellow, Carla Dirlikov Canales, hosted the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Director-General Audrey Azoulay for the
third installment of the Future of Cultural Diplomacy seminar series. Ambassador Nicholas
Burns, Kennedy School professor and Faculty Chair of the Future of Diplomacy Project
welcomed and introduced Director-General Azoulay. Carla Dirlikov Canales and Alison
Hillegeist, Deputy Director for the Future of Diplomacy Project, moderated the discussion.

The Future of Diplomacy Project hosted a conversation with Julie Bishop, Fisher Family Fellow and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Australia, about China and Australia’s relationship, the increasing geopolitical role of the Quad, and how U.S. foreign policy should respond to China's rise on May 19, 2021. Research Director, Torrey Taussig moderated this discussion.

On May 11, 2021, the Project on Europe and the Transatlantic Relationship hosted a panel discussion on efforts to advance an anti-racist transatlantic agenda with three policymakers: Caroline Abadie, Member of the French National Assembly; Oona King, Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Snap Inc and former Member of Parliament of the United Kingdom; and Desirée Cormier Smith, Senior Advisor in the Bureau of International Organization Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. This discussion was moderated by Torrey Taussig, Research Director, and Erika Manouselis, Project Coordinator.

In a conversation with Ambassador Caroline Kennedy, we will explore how she employed cultural diplomacy while serving as U.S. Ambassador to Japan (2013-2017), our key ally in Asia. Ambassador (ret.) Nicholas Burns, Harvard Kennedy School professor and Faculty Chair of the Future of Diplomacy Project, welcomed and introduced Ambassador Kennedy. He and Carla Dirlikov Canales, 2021 Advanced Leadership Initiative Fellow, co-moderated the discussion. Dr. Joe Nye, University Distinguished Service Professor, Emeritus at Harvard and who introduced the world to the concept of "soft power" in the late 1980s, was also be part of the discussion.

On April 8, 2021, Ambassador Nicholas Burns delivered the Anthony J. Drexel Biddle, Jr. Lecture on International Studies. 

On April 16, 2021, Fisher Family Fellow and  former EU High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission from 2014-2019, Federica Mogherini, hosted a study group that explored European strategic autonomy and the transatlantic (im)balance in security and defense through three case studies.

On April 9th, the Future of Cultural Diplomacy seminar series held its inaugural event featuring Nancy Szalwinski, Director of Cultural Programs at the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and Ambassador (ret.) Nicholas Burns, Professor at Harvard Kennedy School and Faculty Chair of the Future of Diplomacy Project, which co-sponsors this series. Carla Dirlikov Canales, 2021 Harvard Advanced Leadership Fellow and Arts Envoy for the State Department, moderated the discussion.