Through its history, Chinеsе culturе has always playеd an important rolе in dеfining thе Chinеsе nation, contributing to China’s national powеr, and influеncing China’s forеign rеlations with othеr statеs and еthnic groups. Thеrеforе, as onе of thе instrumеnts of soft powеr, cultural soft powеr or cultural diplomacy has a vеry important placе in China. Thеrе arе somе important quеstions that nееd to bе answеrеd. What is soft powеr and cultural diplomacy? What kind of powеr is it? How many forms, fеaturеs, and shapеs doеs it takе? How can wе rеcognizе and managе it? How do scholars dеscribе it? Doеs China havе soft powеr? What is China’s soft powеr? What arе China’s own soft powеr rеsourcеs？Thеrеforе, apart from thе tеrm cultural diplomacy itsеlf, this MA thеsis will еxplorе anothеr notion ‘soft powеr’. Thе soft powеr of a country rеsts primarily on thrее rеsourcеs: its culturе, its political valuеs, and its forеign policiеs. I will primarily focus on cultural aspеct of soft powеr, which is known as cultural diplomacy, in China. With its rapid еconomic growth and dееpеning intеgration into thе global systеm, Chinеsе lеadеrs sее thе first 20 yеars of thе 21st cеntury as an 'important pеriod of stratеgic opportunity' for China. China undеr Hu Jintao's lеadеrship had chosеn a nеw path of pеacеful risе. To facilitatе such a pеacеful risе, Chinеsе Communist Party has gradually adoptеd a soft powеr stratеgy. Bеijing's publicity blitz bеgan in 2007 undеr Prеsidеnt Hu Jintao, and it has intеnsifiеd undеr Prеsidеnt Xi Jinping. In 2014, Xi announcеd, “Wе should incrеasе China’s soft powеr, givе a good Chinеsе narrativе, and bеttеr communicatе China’s mеssagеs to thе world.” China's diplomatic and dеvеlopmеnt schеmеs form just onе part of a much broadеr agеnda aimеd at еnhancing its soft powеr in еducation, publishing, mеdia, thе arts, sports, and othеr domains. This MA thеsis aims to answеr thеsе and othеr quеstions rеgarding thе dimеnsion of soft powеr with a spеcific focus on China’s cultural diplomacy. This dissеrtation also will attеmpt to answеr thеsе important quеstions; how is culturе utilizеd in intеrnational rеlations? How havе Chinеsе cultural rеsourcеs contributеd to China’s national powеr in history and in its modеrnization procеss? What is China’s soft powеr in thе pеrspеctivе of cultural attractivеnеss? How has China wiеldеd its cultural powеr in its forеign rеlations? Also, my thеsis will analysе discussions, rеsourcеs, and prospеcts for cultural diplomacy in China, focusing on thе Bеijing Consеnsus, forеign policy, which posits that thе China's rеcognition of cultural diplomacy and its application to national policiеs is an important factor in еxplaining China's rapidly incrеasing influеncе in thе world.

This research analyzes why diplomacy is failing in the Dominican Republic. In this thesis, I describe how Dominicans construct their foreign affairs, and the limitations that diplomacy has had in the country. In order to achieve these goals, I have analyzed official documents such as the 2013 and 2015 payrolls of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and legal documents including Article 146 from the Constitution, Organic Law 314 from 1964, and the Protocol of Transparency and Institutions. I argue that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Dominican Republic lacks seriousness and is characterized by the following variables: (1) patronage, (2) corruption, and (3) the systematic violation of Dominican law. The thesis emphasizes how these variables have had a tremendous impact on the exercise of diplomacy. The research analyzes the reaction of the Dominican state and its citizens and how the nation responds to criticisms by the international community. Dominican citizens think that the opinion of international media is a campaign against their country. The implications of this false public perception is an intense nationalism, and the government encourages this. The true problem, as this thesis demonstrates, is institutional weakness. The government uses intense and widespread nationalism to hide institutional weakness and state corruption. After exploring this dialogue between the government, citizens and international media, I move forward framing concepts such as soft power and new public diplomacy to reinforce the importance of listening to foreign publics. In addition I explain why the country needs to change the traditional approach to foreign affairs. The adoption of a new public diplomacy is required to establish credibility and the integration between state, citizens and international publics.

Increased international competitiveness to host sport mega-events indicates their perceived value in stimulating regional and national economic, social and cultural development. In the context of broader governmental public opinion management strategies, sport mega-events hold the potential to mobilize soft power resources of the host country, expressed in values, culture and policies, and engage with and influence the publics of other countries. This thesis investigates the significance of sport mega-events for the host country’s public diplomacy strategies and practice by exploring the concepts of public diplomacy, sport mega-events, soft power and national image within a multi-disciplinary conceptual framework. The analysis of scholarly literature, official and media reports reveals how aspects of reputation, credibility, and legitimacy guide both foreign public opinion and the practice of public diplomacy in conjunction with sport mega-events. Moreover, international reputation of the host nation, including status, prestige and image, appeared to benefit the most as a result of strategic application of sport mega-events to public diplomacy. This can be achieved by proving functional reputation though demonstration of financial and organizational success. Alternatively, social reputation of the host is at risk of sustaining considerable damage as a result of resistance from social activists groups, thus requiring extensive damage control efforts of the host country's image. The conclusions drawn from this study raise significant questions about the potential of sport mega-events being effectively used for public diplomacy and the experience of the host governments, revealing functional competence as having the greatest potential to influence public diplomacy strategy built around hosting sport mega-events.

The objective of this thesis is to analyze the concept of autonomy, taking as the case study Brazil under the Workers Party Government (2003-2016). Approach that will be taken aims at combining perspectives of Latin-American structuralism with those of realism and interdependency. Thesis essentially concentrates on two specific issue areas: global economy and international politics. By constructing a theoretical framework, I aspire to identify and analyze various factors considered to have a direct impact on the study matter. In doing so, I consider the behavior of distinct variables and their effect on the degree of autonomy. Finally, thesis addresses problems of international insertion for peripheral countries, considering possibilities and limits of truly autonomous action.

A part of academic work inspired by Nye's concept of "soft power" has adopted his conceptualisation without much reservation, while another part has contested it. Some authors describe Nye's conceptualisation of power as biased towards democracies, or otherwise challenge the concept as category of analysis. On the case study of the partial democracy of Singapore, through analysis of official discourse, the thesis explores whether Singapore's government acknowledges the idea and if so, how it interprets it. Secondly, the thesis aims to provide more insight into the use of soft power as category of analysis with the help of the selected case study.

The cultural diplomacy represents a crucial tool how to promote the state abroad. Currently the cultural diplomacy becomes more important and plays a significant part in foreign policy. This master thesis studies a potential strategy of cultural diplomacy on the european level and aims especially at the activities of EUNIC Global.

Soft power is one of the most emphasized concepts of current international relations. Russia still plays a significant role, however, russian soft power still has its limits. This thesis studies particular sources of russian soft power and refers to its deficiencies.

Due to its fragile position in the international community, Taiwan has used soft power projection and public diplomacy tools to present its values and to enforce its national interests. This work identifies and examines principal sources and instruments of soft power implemented in Taiwan's diplomatic practice. Taiwan is attractive to other countries especially for its values, culture and economic strength. It currently enhances its influence mainly via cultural projects, educational programs, foreign policy practice, economic soft power, gastrodiplomacy and media, specifically focusing on development and humanitarian aid, active participation in international bodies and clarifying its standpoint towards PRC, celebrity diplomacy, and on publishing foreign language books and informational texts about the country. It will be crucial for the future of Taiwan's public diplomacy to either focus on areas that have not been attractive so far, or to use the strategy of niche diplomacy. With better institutional coordination, well-targeted public diplomacy strategy and national brand making, Taiwan can continue in making its world image better.

My master's thesis deals with a form of soft power and foreign policy, the development aid. In the three chapters I provide an analysis of the potential impacts of such financial flows in the particular case of Haiti. This country has become an exemplar of the fact that even billions of dollars do not have to contribute to improving the economic and living conditions, on the contrary, aid in combination with incorrectly set policies can become an instrument of destruction. Using econometric models and policy analysis I examine the impact of official development assistance on the political, economic, environmental and social sector. At the end of the work I list recommendations for the future, which could contribute to improving the situation.

This paper presents the concept of soft power which is applied on the case of the Republic of Korea. South Korea, defined as a middle power, strives to make itself visible in the international milieu by focusing on soft power and multilateral cooperation with other countries. The Korean Wave (or Hallyu) refers to the increased export of Korean cultural products (mainly popular music, dramas and films) to the rest of Asia and to the world and projects an image of modern and cool country which attracts foreign tourists and students and helps the branding of the nation and its products.