Cultural Diplomacy has become a crucial tool in diplomatic relations and the creation of soft power. To strengthen the capacities of our students, the Student Affairs and Professional Development Office of the College of Europe in Natolin organised a workshop on cultural diplomacy with Mr Juan Manuel VILAPLANA LOPEZ, Chargé d'affaires ad Interim at the Embassy of Spain to the Republic of Moldova.
This two-day workshop on cultural diplomacy and EU external action examined the concept, history and institutional models of cultural diplomacy with a focus on the emerging role of the European Union in this field. Based on a thorough review of the body of academic research on this topic, it paid special consideration to current events such as the recent shifts in US foreign policy, the profound cultural impacts of conflicts in the EU’s eastern and southern neighbourhoods and the historical competition between the colonial paradigms and the multilateral, developmental approach to international cultural relations.
The workshop was structured in two parts: one theoretical session, which included critical examination of source material and case studies, and one entirely practical session in which students were engaged in a type of negotiations and discussions that are usually held in EU bodies, Member States Embassies and cultural institutions.
About the speaker:
Mr Juan Manuel VILAPLANA LOPEZ is a Spanish career diplomat currently serving as Chargé d'affaires ad Interim at the Embassy of Spain to the Republic of Moldova. Previously, he served as Head of the Culture and Science Section of the Embassy of Spain in Berlin, as Consul General of Spain in Alexandria, as Political Officer at the Delegations of the European Union in Kyiv and Beirut, as Deputy Chair of the COEST and COSCE Working Parties at the Permanent Representation of Spain to the European Union, and as Political Advisor at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, EU and Cooperation of Spain.