Universities' Internationalisation: A Catalyst for Public Diplomacy

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Monday 28 October 2024

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Location

Jaguar Building, Room 125

Event details

Public diplomacy is an essential channel for building and maintaining long-lasting international relations. However, new public diplomacy involves a complex array of non-state actors, leading to debates about their roles and significance.

This seminar aims to discuss the findings from a study that has identified the role of universities as public diplomacy actors by examining the internationalisation strategies and activities of two selected institutions: a Danish university and an English university.

The research explores the relationships between these universities and their respective governments, analysing the perspectives of university stakeholders and scrutinising a broad range of internationalisation activities that contribute to public diplomacy. The study adopted an interpretive philosophical stance, integrating secondary and primary data, including findings from nineteen semi-structured interviews with individuals responsible for shaping and implementing the universities' internationalisation strategies and activities. This research contributes to the growing literature on public diplomacy and the internationalisation of higher education, directly linking to two UN Sustainable Development Goals: the promotion of peace and quality education.

Biography 

Natalya Steane is a Cotutelle PhD student at Coventry University and Aarhus University. Her research, "University Internationalisation as Public Diplomacy: Case Studies from England and Denmark,” focuses on public diplomacy and the internationalisation of higher education. Natalya developed an interest in the role of universities in public diplomacy during her Master's by Research at Coventry University. She holds an MA in Diplomacy and Communication from the University of Kentucky and a Master's by Research in Korean Studies from Coventry University. Her interests include public diplomacy, soft power, international relations, resilience, nation branding, and multicultural education.