Good morning, Meridian readers! It’s Sunday, so it’s time to round out the week with a big dose of diplomatic news. Keep on reading for a recap of the latest updates.
US-Asia Education Exchange: The Impact of Public
Diplomacy
Publication: The Diplomat | By Mercy A. Kuo
- It’s still Asian-Pacific American Heritage month, and this piece dives into the importance of international exchange between the U.S. and Asia.
- The Pacific Rim of Asia is a region that touches roughly 90 percent of the global trade — and is home to five treaty allies of the United States.
- There is a decline in the number of Asian students coming to the US; students are now choosing Canada, Australia and other countries over the US due to strict immigration policies.
- Only 3 percent of US students study abroad, although your Instagram feed may lead you to think it’s waaay more. Experts believe that the interaction of students from around the world in the classroom is critical to promoting global leadership and greater intercultural competence; they stress that limiting students from Asia who want to study inthe U.S. is detrimental to our institutional goals.
What does an ambassador do? We asked three who work in D.C.
Publication: The Washington Post | By Dara Elasfar
- Do you interact with ambassadors but have no idea what they do on the daily? Well, this piece fixes that for you.
- “The job may sound very complicated or fancy, but it isn’t, in a way, because it’s all about getting to learn about a country and getting to know people,” says Swedish Ambassador Karin Olofsdotter.
- Ambassadors spend time looking at ways cooperate with the country they’re posted in; if they find issues they disagree with, they’ll enter into discussions and attempt to negotiate.
- The advice ambassadors give to those desiring to work in the diplomatic community? Be passionate about meeting new people, be open to speaking in public and strive to make a difference
Foodie culture is now part of foreign policy — It’s Gastrodiplomacy
Publication: Quartz
- We’re shaking it up this week with a video on culinary diplomacy. If you don’t have 7 minutes to watch, have no fear — we’ve pulled the best snippets for you.
- The Thai government has been actively promoting Thai food overseas for more than a decade, which has led to an abundance of Thai restaurants allover the world.
- The trend has even led to food becoming an important diplomatic tool for governments to showcase their country’s culture and traditions.
- The Thai embassy has begun giving awards + funds to chefs, and the government pays for all promotions of Thai food.
