OADI 2010 - International Public Diplomacy & Communication

***UPDATED for 2022/23***

This course examines concepts, practices, institutions, and critical issues in international public diplomacy. We focus on the experiences of seasoned public diplomacy practitioners and a growing body of academic and practical literature in International Relations and Communication Studies. The course will start by exploring the concept and practice of public diplomacy at the general level, and in relation to other concepts, such as propaganda. The course will then review the public diplomacy undertaken by the United States, European countries, China and Russia, before turning to the practices of four major international organization – the EU, NATO, OSCE and UN, and considering the role of public diplomacy in their functional areas: security, development, peacekeeping and multilateral negotiations.

The goal of the course is threefold:

To untangle the concepts of influence and impact in international affairs by policy means short of war, as conducted by states, organizations and other actors.

To examine the strategies of communication used by/ and the organization and functioning of International public diplomacy by major country practitioners, international organizations and in specific areas.

To evaluate how states and organizations (through their communication policies and strategies) seek to create a supportive environment for their actions by informing and influencing the public opinions and external audience.

Topics include:

Perspectives on public diplomacy and related concepts: soft power, smart power, political rhetoric, strategic communication, and propaganda;

Public diplomacy's 21st-century context: networks, new media ;

US public diplomacy ;

The "influence" of middle-power states ; The rise of China and Russia as public diplomacy actors ;

NATO's public diplomacy: how the Public Diplomacy Division seeks to understand, engage, advocate, evaluate, and adapt the Alliance messages after the end of the Cold War ;

Communicating with foreign public opinions in times of crisis situation (EU CSDP mission – examples of policies and strategies of communication) ;

The OSCE and the art of the "hard-sell" ;

Virtual public diplomacy: blogs, websites, and virtual worlds ;

Climate change public diplomacy.

Odette TOMESCU-HATTO

Séminaire

English

Spring 2022-2023

This is a seminar course. Students will be expected to do the readings in advance and discuss them critically in class and online.

An oral presentation (30% of the grade). The oral presentation must be structured argument of 10-15 minutes that presents a review of the subject and question, as well as the literature on this, and raises questions for debate by the class.

Each student has to write one essay (3-4 pages 1.5 spaced) answering a question of their choice from the list below, but not the one upon which they have made a presentation (30%).

Class participation & discussion (10% of the grade). Participation in this class is extremely important. The class participation grade will derive from regular attendance and everyday discussion and analysis. Please be aware that unexcused absences will impact your grade in this area.

Students will be called upon to draft a strategy for a country/organization to be determined in advance (30%), by working in teams to define context, strengths, weaknesses, targets and goals. Team leaders will be designated for four teams. Team leaders will then present public diplomacy strategies for each country/organization.