SCIENTIFIC AND EDUCATIONAL DIPLOMACY: INFLUENCING POSITIVE IMAGE OF THE STATE

Abstract

Cultural diplomacy is a very important part of public diplomacy, image sphere of the country foreign policy aimed to strengthen its positive view in the world by means of culture and arts. It’s the common contribution of governmental and non-governmental institutions, artists, and experts to the security and well-being of the country, understanding and trust towards its citizens in the world. Being a new term, cultural diplomacy came into foreign practice long time ago. Since the very old days, representatives of numerous social groups – scientists, researchers, artists, businessmen – have been acting as informal or cultural diplomats.

Science and education are important parts of cultural diplomacy. The influence of educators and investigators on the development of positive image for the state abroad is priceless.

Owing to the connections in the field, technological progress, cultural, social, humanitarian development, any society can promote its values worldwide.

The aim of the article is to study the practice of developed countries in promoting cultural, namely scientific and educational, diplomacy; to evaluate the state of the sphere in Ukraine. Domestic cultural diplomacy is of strategic importance now, when the country is struggling against Russian aggression and economic crisis. In spite of limitless cultural diversity, we are in focus of international attention due to political and economic problems. Absence of coordinated state policy in promoting Ukrainian culture abroad is a serious challenge for our cultural managements. Society, state institutions play an important role in international cooperation, creating the net of communication between different cultural, artistic, educational areas. It helps to create public opinion about a state, gives rise to further cooperation, overcomes negative stereotypes.

The subjects of Ukrainian cultural diplomacy are governmental institutions, nongovernmental organizations, public activists, artists, journalists, scientists, students, politicians.

Methodology. The principles of synthesis and analyses were used in the process of writing the article in order to collect and compare the information on the state of cultural diplomacy in different countries; method of analogy – to find common and different features in scientific and educational diplomacy in the world; analytical and didactical methods – to distinguish positive experience in cultural diplomacy abroad to implement it in Ukrainian reality.

Scientific novelty of the work is in trying to concentrate on the available information of the state in scientific and educational diplomacy and to generalize all the possible tools for the soft power in educational sector for popularizing country’s heritage among other cultures. Cultural diplomacy is the new term for Ukrainian policy and in search for effective cooperating models between formal institutions and informal organizations, businesses and creative agencies. Meanwhile, cultural policy in European Union is in priority, but looking for the new common strategy to confront global political challenges. Ukraine should be sensitive to those transformations and actively participate in them, offering its own positive practices and concepts.

Conclusions. Therefore, development of cultural diplomacy, namely in science and education, first of all depends on the cultural policy of the country. It should encourage the competitive product of high quality. For that reason, the priority ought to be given to the system implementation of monitoring and analytical research in this field to support Ukraine abroad and promote Ukrainian cultural and educational product in other countries.

This conscientious work implies monitoring Ukrainian events worldwide to further analyses and forecasting. Larger amount of cultural projects, mass media, TV programs can rise the foreign interest towards Ukraine.

So far, our country falls behind progressive traditions of cultural diplomacy. That’s why, our main goal is to make it the priority in foreign policy.