In October 2024, American Councils commemorated its 50th anniversary with the conference, Public Diplomacy and International Education in the 21st Century. Held at the Jack Morton Auditorium, the conference was co-hosted by George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs, the Institute for Public Diplomacy and Global Communication, and the Institute for Data, Democracy, and Politics.
The conference brought together a virtual and in-person audience of hundreds of global supporters, allies, and stakeholders, as well as leaders from diplomacy, government, business, and academia for dynamic panel discussions on the transformative impact of international education and its crucial role in peacebuilding and innovation.
Keynote Address
The conference opened with remarks from Ms. Lisa Choate, President and CEO of American Councils and a keynote address by Madam President Atifete Jahjaga, former President of the Republic of Kosova and founder of the Jahjaga Foundation.
“American Councils never shied away from the difficult, from the complicated.” said Ms. Choate, reflecting on the organization’s history and mission, and the impact it had on international dialogue during turbulent geopolitical times. “The vision and DNA of our founders has made us not just ambitious, but undeterred by obstacles.”
President Jahjaga emphasized the influence of public diplomacy worldwide and the impact it had on Kosova’s development. “For half a century, American Councils have been visionaries, pioneers of international exchange and public diplomacy. And I have no doubts that the next 50 years will bring even more success and progress,” said President Jahjaga.
Strategies for the U.S. to Enhance Exchanges & People-to-People Ties
“Exchanges, people to people ties, are the foundations of everything we do in diplomacy and in all the government’s work. Soft power, I think, is one of our superpowers,” said Ambassador Marie Yovanovich, former ambassador to Ukraine, who moderated the panel.
“It has been my experience that there are two American values that the world admires even if they may despise our foreign policy. These two values are education and entrepreneurship,” said Mr. Rafik Mansour, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy at the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), describing the bureau as the “soft power arm of the U.S. government”.
The panel also featured Dr. Katherine A. Brown, President and CEO of Global Ties U.S., Mr. Joe Kapp, President of the Center for Resource Development (NCRD), and Mr. Joe Wierichs, Public Diplomacy Fellow at George Washington University’s Institute for Public Diplomacy and Global Communication.
The Crucial Role of Languages & Area Studies in Maintaining Strong International Ties
The next panel discussed the transformative experience of language and cultural immersion programs and how they benefit U.S. officials’ ability to communicate national interests and strengthen ties globally.
Dr. Dan E. Davidson, President Emeritus and Co-Founder of American Councils, shared insights on American Councils' mission to prepare U.S. citizens to tackle global challenges by providing them with in-depth overseas language and cultural immersion experiences.
“Individuals who have gone on to use their language and area study skills to advance mutual understanding, strengthen U.S. national security and ensure that U.S. decision makers ... are guided by a more nuanced and multifaceted understanding of the social, historical, and political context surrounding today’s global and international issues,” said Dr. Davidson.
The panel featured Dr. Mike Nugent, former Director of the National Security Education Program, Dr. Betty Lou Leaver, former Provost of the Defense Language Institute, Ambassador John Ordway, former ambassador to Armenia and Kazakhstan, and Ms. Sydney Stotter, a PhD candidate at Harvard University and alumna of several programs administered by American Councils.
American Councils sincerely appreciates the individuals and organizations whose generosity made this work possible. Special thanks to the dedicated staff, board of trustees, and volunteers who support our mission and our participants. We extend our sincere appreciation to the conference sponsors. Their support directly benefits American Councils’ flagship scholarships—the Dan E. Davidson Fellowship and the David P. Patton Distinguished Alumni Award.