In 2010 a legacy began. A group of 10 Master of Public Diplomacy (MPD) graduate students at the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California traveled to Dubai to attend a weeklong conference as a student exchange with the American University in Dubai. Each year since, a delegation of USC Master of Public Diplomacy students has traveled abroad, to research public diplomacy efforts of a chosen country. To date, the program’s international experience has included Dubai, Vietnam, India, China, and most recently Brazil.

This year a group of eight MPD students will travel to Jakarta and Bali, Indonesia from March 5th-15th, to learn, analyze, and report on the public diplomacy landscape of the Southeast Asian country. The research focus of each individual group member will vary, including cultural diplomacy, digital diplomacy, exchange diplomacy, faith diplomacy, human rights nonprofit advocacy, and current United States-Indonesia relations within the context of recent shifts in Indonesian government. Through meetings with the United States embassy in Jakarta, Ministries of the Indonesian government, as well as a range of non-state actors, the group aims to present a well-rounded collective report that will help provide insight into Indonesia’s current position in the world as an emerging power, and how its public diplomacy efforts can or already are helping to improve its global standing.

Please help continue the MPD international research legacy by following our blog posts, browsing this site, connecting with the current research group on social media, and staying tuned for the Indonesia group report, scheduled to be shared by May 11, 2015. Views expressed in this blog are our own.

Special thanks for support in making this experience possible goes to Gordon Stables and the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, Director of the Master of Public Diplomacy program Dr. Nicholas Cull, the Center on Public Diplomacy, the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, the Consulate General of Republic of Indonesia in Los Angeles, the Indonesian government, and tour operator Trails of Indochina.

Public Diplomacy Indonesia Blog: (click here)

MPD International Research Alumni

A Journey Through Sao Paulo – Innovations in Brazilian Public Diplomacy: (click here)

 

MPD in China 2013 – Peking University: (click here)

 

Indian Public Diplomacy – A Strategic Future: (click here)

 

Public Diplomacy Students Visit Southeast Asia: (click here)

 

A Report on the AUD – USC Exchange: (click here)