Skip to main content
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Media, Law & Policy
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • Syracuse University Impact
  • |
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
Sections
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • Syracuse University Impact
  • |
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Media, Law & Policy

Former Ambassador Discusses Evolution of Public Diplomacy

Thursday, October 27, 2016, By Aishwarya Nag Choudhury
Share
Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs

Speaking from his long experience in foreign service, Ambassador William Rugh talked about the evolution of public diplomacy in government and academia. He discussed how public diplomacy has come to be a growing field, but has yet to be  recognized in many government sectors.

William Rugh

William Rugh

“Our job is to explain to a particular audience in their own context what America is trying to do in the world,” said Rugh. He was the keynote speaker for the event hosted by the Association for Public Diplomacy Scholars at Syracuse University. More than 15 professionals took part in the event Oct. 13 and 14. The event was presented by the public diplomacy program, jointly offered by the Newhouse School and the Maxwell School.

The panelists at the two-day event included foreign service officers, entrepreneurs, economists, journalists, CEOs and academics, who discussed the direction and future of public diplomacy and diplomats who can effectively communicate with diverse national and international audiences.

Rugh, who started the conference with a keynote talk, is currently a professor of practice at Northeastern University. From 1964-1995 he was a foreign service officer with the U.S. Information Agency. He was also a deputy chief of mission in Syria, ambassador to the Yemen Arab Republic and ambassador to the United Arab Emirates.

He stressed the need to explain America’s policies while communicating with other nations and their people and maintaining international relations. He discussed the growing relevance of the term “soft power”—a persuasive approach to international relations, typically involving the use of economic or cultural influence—and how that has become the guide in steering international communications.

The ambassador also discussed the growing power of social media, and how it has become easier to connect with different populations in the world. This, he said, was a new frontier of public diplomacy, since it not only enabled the government to communicate with the top-tier politicians, but also with the general population.

“It helps spread the message to the audience who is most concerned,” he said.

Additional speakers at the two-day conference included Phillip Estefan, investment advisor at the Odmiyar Network; Steve Pike, assistant professor of public relations at the Newhouse School; and Ellen Blackeler,  vice president of global communications at the Walt Disney Co.

  • Author

Aishwarya Nag Choudhury

  • Recent
  • Oren Lyons Jr., Roy Simmons Jr. Honored With Alfie Jacques Ambassador Award
    Wednesday, June 11, 2025, By John Boccacino
  • Deadline Set for Fiscal 2025 Year End Business
    Monday, June 9, 2025, By News Staff
  • The Libraries’ Resources: A Staff and Faculty Benefit
    Monday, June 9, 2025, By News Staff
  • Forecasting the Future With Fossils
    Sunday, June 8, 2025, By Caroline K. Reff
  • DPS Earns Accreditation From International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators
    Friday, June 6, 2025, By Kiana Racha

More In Media, Law & Policy

Ian ’90 and Noah Eagle ’19 Share a Love of Sportscasting and Storytelling (Podcast)

There’s a new father-son sportscasting team on the national scene, one with a decidedly Orange background: Ian ’90 and Noah Eagle ’19. Ian finished his second year as the lead announcer for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament and has crafted…

Newhouse Professor Robert Thompson Featured on ‘NBC Nightly News’ for Pop Culture Lecture Series

Newhouse School and University Professor Bob Thompson was recently featured on “NBC Nightly News” for his long-running lecture series that uses classic television to bridge generational divides and spark important conversation. The segment, produced by NBC’s Brian Cheung ’15—a University…

Newhouse Creative Advertising Students Win Big at Sports and Entertainment Clios

For the first time ever, Newhouse creative advertising students entered the Sports Clios and Entertainment Clios competitions and won big. Clios are regarded as some of the hardest awards for creative advertising students to win. At the New York City…

Memorial Fund Honors Remarkable Journalism Career, Supports Students Involved With IDJC

Maxwell School alumna Denise Kalette ’68 got her first byline at age 12, under a poem titled “The Poor Taxpayer” that she submitted to her local newspaper. In a few paragraphs of playful prose, she drew attention to an issue…

New Maymester Program Allows Student-Athletes to Develop ‘Democracy Playbook’

Fourteen student-athletes will experience Washington, D.C., next week as part of a new Maymester program hosted by the Syracuse University Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship (IDJC). The one-week program, Democracy Playbook: DC Media and Civics Immersion for Student-Athletes, will…

Subscribe to SU Today

If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.

Connect With Us

  • X
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
Social Media Directory

For the Media

Find an Expert Follow @SyracuseUNews
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • @SyracuseU
  • @SyracuseUNews
  • Social Media Directory
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Campus Status
  • Syracuse.edu
© 2025 Syracuse University News. All Rights Reserved.