Chikharev, I.A., Stoletov, O.V. Universities as public diplomacy subjects

Abstract: This article is devoted to the definition of public diplomacy and the main approaches to its definition. Much attention is paid to public diplomacy as an element of “soft power” in a modern state. The authors analyze the possibility for the influence of Universities on the international relations and global policy with the use of such instruments as discourse and elite formation, scientific and information campaigns. The authors provide a detailed study of political aspects in the positioning of higher educational institutions in the international ratings as a factor for greater prestige of state and support of its positive image. The authors evaluate the role of Universities in formation of social-economic and foreign political strategies of the states. The authors come to a conclusion that more and more active participation of the Universities in the public diplomatic activities and their greater influence upon the global political processes fall within the trend of power transformation in the modern global politics, making information and intellectual instruments (so-called “smart power”) more topical.

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