U.S. Undersecretary of State launches fifth annual Public Diplomacy Symposium

On Thursday, Oct. 18, U.S. Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Tara Sonenshine will kick off  Syracuse University’s Association of Public Diplomacy Scholars (APDS) annual symposium. The theme of this year’s symposium is “The Politics of Change.” Sonenshine will offer her expert insights on the role of modern public diplomacy at 4 p.m. in the Joyce Hergenhan Auditorium in Newhouse 3.

The symposium will continue through Oct. 19 with cultural performances, presentations from experts and panel discussions focusing on how building relationships across borders can be achieved in a time of global political change driven by elections, advocacy and new media.

“The Negotiation of Power, Transnationalism and Collective Identity in the Performing Arts,” a tribal fusion dance performance by dancer, choreographer and scholar Donna Mejia, and presentation by William Beeman, professor and chair of anthropology at the University of Minnesota, on the relationship between culture and dialogue in international affairs will take place on Thursday, Oct. 18, at 7 p.m. in Hergenhan Auditorium.

The following presentations and panel discussions will take place on Friday, Oct. 19, in the Public Events Room, 220 Eggers Hall:

• 10 a.m.—a presentation by Peg Hermann, Gerald B. and Daphna Cramer Professor of Global Affairs and director of the Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs, on how leaders influence foreign policy and public diplomacy;
• 11 a.m.—a panel discussion on how elections in several key countries may change political landscapes;
• 1:30 p.m.—a panel discussion on how governments and organizations influence politics in countries that are not their own; and
• 3 p.m.—a panel discussion on how digital and social media are reshaping political participation.

For a detailed symposium schedule, visit publicdiplomacy.syr.edu/html/News/symposia.html.

The Public Diplomacy Symposium 2012 was made possible by the support of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, the Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs, the Office of the Chancellor of Syracuse University, the Syracuse University Humanities Center, the Graduate Student Organization and other partners.

The Association of Public Diplomacy Scholars is a professional, student-run organization at SU dedicated to furthering the study and discussion of public diplomacy.