The Old World is losing its “soft power”, its positive radiance and magnetism, as the support for the so-called “Brexit” becomes the symbol for the fear and rampant populism across the Continent. The Portland think tank’s “Soft Power Index” this year also found signs of Europe’s slide. The US has replaced Britain at the top and Germany has fallen from second to third place. And Canada bumped France down to fifth place.

How would you explain Donald Trump to a foreign audience? Could it be done in a coherent way? Could it be done at all? To citizens at home, this may be merely an intriguing exercise. But to our country's diplomats it is a daily challenge. As part of their jobs, especially if they are public diplomacy officers, as I was, they are charged with "telling America's story to the world," and this includes describing the leading figures and issues in an election year.

Such initiatives are a hallmark of British cultural diplomacy, said Edwards. He also added that the consulate is in the midst of seeking partnerships on several creative projects. One such partnership project coming later in the year to Shanghai is a traditional Chinese Kunqu opera version of “Macbeth.”

British, American and Australians members of the Friendship Force International (FF) enjoyed a weeklong homestay in Korea as part of a program to promote intercultural ties. During their visit, members of the international cultural exchange program visited the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), Gyeongbok Palace, the Korean Folk Village...

The UK Government needs to urgently adopt a new, comprehensive languages strategy if it is to keep pace with its international competitors and reduce a skills deficit that has wide-reaching economic, political, and military effects.

Despite the political dissimilarities between the UK and Russia, both the countries are now coming together to ensure a meaningful cultural relationship between them, by jointly celebrating their literary works. The British Council in Russia, which leads the UK's Year of Language and Literature 2016, have been discussing the influence of Shakespeare's works on the global culture, including that of Russia.