Institute for Cultural Diplomacy (ICD)

What we´ve Accomplished

What we have Accomplished

Since 1999 we have worked hard to raise awareness of the field of cultural diplomacy and bring together in sustainable networks individuals from diverse cultural, academic, and professional backgrounds.

We would like to share some of the progress that has been made over the past years below:

Establishing Cultural Diplomacy as a Recognized Academic Field

Although cultural diplomacy has historically been exercised de facto by states and civil society actors, de jure recognition in the form of formal academic pathways remained conspicuously absent until recent years.

In 2011, recognising this lacuna, the Academy for Cultural Diplomacy launched the world’s first accredited Master’s and Doctoral programmes in Cultural Diplomacy, in partnership with established European universities. These programmes, primus inter pares, were unprecedented and remain foundational in the academic legitimisation of the field. They have since attracted a global cohort of students, who have emerged as practitioners and advocates of intercultural understanding across the diplomatic, academic, and cultural sectors.

Exemplum docet (example teaches). Since the inception of these programmes, numerous institutions around the world have followed suit, offering specialised degrees in cultural diplomacy. To date, over 1,500 graduates from our MA programmes form part of a growing international alumni network advancing the field in both theory and practice.

These programs are the first academic programs to ever be offered in the world in the field of cultural diplomacy. Since 2011 many more universities around the world started to offer MA Programs in cultural diplomacy. Since 2011, over 1.500 students have been graduated from our MA programs in Cultural Diplomacy

Promoting Awareness of Cultural Diplomacy and Soft Power

Central to the ICD’s raison d’être has been the promotion of cultural diplomacy and soft power, not merely as academic constructs but as instrumenta pacis (instruments of peace) essential to the fabric of modern diplomacy.

Through an extensive programme of high-level conferences, seminars, and international forums, the ICD has convened thought leaders and participants from more than 100 countries. These events, forum non conveniens, only to those averse to dialogue, have brought together voices from diplomacy, politics, academia, the arts, and civil society in pursuit of mutual understanding.

The substance of these exchanges has been documented and disseminated widely via our digital platforms, in accordance with the maxim “verba volant, scripta manent”, spoken words fly away, written words remain, thus ensuring the continuity and accessibility of knowledge.

Engaging Policymakers and Influencing Political Discourse

In alignment with the doctrine salus populi suprema lex esto (the welfare of the people shall be the supreme law), the ICD has consistently sought to engage policymakers and decision-makers in constructive discourse on the role of cultural diplomacy in statecraft and international relations.

Our conferences are deliberately structured to avoid ex parte dialogue and instead encourage audi alteram partem (hear the other side) through panel discussions, debates, and interactive sessions that ensure bilateral exchange between public officials and global citizens.

This modus operandi ensures that cultural diplomacy is not only disseminated from the top down but is also shaped and informed by grassroots voices, emerging scholars, and diverse cultural perspectives.

Empowering the Next Generation of Global Stakeholders

As a practical embodiment of docendo discimus (by teaching, we learn), the ICD has placed significant emphasis on youth empowerment and leadership development. Since 2003, our Young Leaders Forums and global internship programmes have brought together thousands of emerging leaders from every continent, cultivating a new generation of culturally fluent, globally minded actors.

These initiatives have helped to establish sustainable, cross-cultural networks that continue to foster bi- and multilateral cooperation across sectors. Many participants have gone on to lead impactful initiatives in diplomacy, development, education, and the arts, embodying the ICD’s ethos per aspera ad astra (through adversity to the stars).

Advancing Research and Thought Leadership in Cultural Diplomacy

Since its establishment, the ICD has been a fons et origo (source and origin) of rigorous research and intellectual inquiry in the field of cultural diplomacy. Recognising that lex prospicit, non respicit (the law (or principle) looks forward, not backward), we have sought to produce research that anticipates emerging global trends and addresses contemporary challenges.

Our academic contributions include original research, curated publications, audio-visual content, keynote addresses, and comprehensive case studies, all of which are freely accessible as part of our public intellectual repository. These materials serve not only to inform but also to inspire, in the spirit of fiat lux (let there be light).

Looking Ahead

As we continue our work into the next decade and beyond, the ICD remains committed to the maxim pacta sunt servanda (agreements must be honoured). We see cultural diplomacy not as a peripheral activity, but as an indispensable pillar of a peaceful and cooperative international order. Through continued education, engagement, and research, we aim to strengthen the ties that bind us across cultures and to promote dialogue in a world too often marked by division.

In a time when inter arma enim silent leges (in times of war, the laws fall silent), cultural diplomacy offers a path of dialogue, understanding, and peace. It is in this spirit that the ICD shall continue to serve.

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Institute for Cultural Diplomacy USA
601 13th St. NW, Washington D.C. 20005, USA
August-Bebel-Str. 68, D-14482 Potsdam
0049 30 68229345 // 0049 171 4993 640
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