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Date and Location
Emma Logevall
Sports Diplomacy: Competition, Connection, and Global Impact
From the Olympics to the FIFA World Cup, sports have long served as a powerful vehicle for international engagement. As the world looks toward a new era of major global sporting events, this session will examine how sports can strengthen diplomatic relationships, shape national narratives, build soft power, and create opportunities for connection across borders.
The Cultural Diplomacy Study Group is a three-part series designed for anyone interested in exploring how the arts, music, education, and sports sectors can be strategically mobilized to advance foreign policy objectives and address complex social challenges.
The summer series will be led by Carla Dirlikov Canales, a Fellow for the Program on Diplomacy and Statecraft at the Belfer Center. Canales is also a Visiting Professor at the Korbel School of International Studies. She served the first Senior Advisor and Envoy for Cultural Exchange at the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities during the Biden Administration, and has served as a U.S. State Department Arts Envoy since 2005.
Please note: The Cultural Diplomacy Study Group summer series consists of three sessions, all held from 10:30am-12:00pm via Zoom. While it is not necessary to attend all three sessions, we warmly encourage participation throughout the series.
Session 1: Great Power Competition and Cultural Strategy
June 26, 2026 | 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM EDT
Session 2: America 250: Culture, Identity, and National Storytelling
July 24, 2026 | 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM EDT
Session 3: Sports Diplomacy: Competition, Connection, and Global Impact
August 28, 2026 | 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM EDT