By Alison Baily, Senior Policy Analyst and Advisor, British Council
July 2021
The international order is going through fundamental change.
Power is shifting from Europe to the dynamic economies of Asia and Africa, and there is increased competition between states such as the United States, China and Russia over the interests, norms and values that govern the international system.
The sense of a world in flux has been compounded by the global pandemic.
Governments are considering what implications these changes have for the prosperity and security of their countries, and how best to respond.
New research for the British Council, Cultural Relations, Dialogue and Co-operation In An Age of Competition sheds light on how one area of soft power - cultural relations – is uniquely positioned to help countries keep open channels of dialogue and co-operation with each other in challenging times.