Training Course: How Soft Power Shapes Modern International Relations
1Summary
A country can win influence today without deploying a single soldier - through the shows it exports, the universities it funds abroad, or the diplomatic channels it keeps open when others go quiet. That is soft power, and it has become as decisive to a nation's global standing as any traditional show of force, if not more so.
This course, delivered by the Arab British Fellowship Training Academy, walks participants through the theory and real-world application of modern international relations, with a focus on how states build and deploy soft power to extend their reach. It looks closely at the roles media, culture, education and diplomacy play in that process, and compares how both established and rising powers are putting these tools to work on the international stage today.
2Objectives and target group
Who Should Attend?
- Diplomats and foreign affairs officials.
- Researchers and academics working in international relations.
- Political and economic analysts.
- University students of political science and international relations.
- Anyone interested in building soft power strategy within international politics.
By the end of the programme, participants will be able to:
- Explain the nature of modern international relations and how it shapes global politics.
- Break down soft power strategies and how states use them to widen their international influence.
- Analyse the economic, cultural and media factors that shape international politics.
- Build soft power strategies at both the state and international-organisation level.
- Track global shifts in international politics and how they affect major powers.
3Course Content
Module 1: What Soft Power Is, and Why It Now Rivals Hard Power
- What soft power is and how it differs from hard, military power.
- Its core components: culture, political values, foreign policy.
- Why it has become just as decisive as traditional power in a multipolar world.
Module 2: The International Relations Framework Behind It
- Defining international relations and its role in today's world.
- How traditional and modern international relations differ.
- How the theories behind international relations have evolved.
Module 3: The Political Backdrop: Systems and Influencing Factors
- The international system since World War II, and U.S. dominance within it.
- The rise of Asian powers, China in particular.
- The role of international organisations, economic activity, and media and culture in shaping relations.
Module 4: How Major and Rising Powers Deploy Soft Power
- U.S. and U.K. cultural diplomacy, from Hollywood to the English language.
- China's and India's use of culture, sport and media to build influence.
- How Arab countries, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia, are building their own soft power strategies.
Module 5: Media as the Delivery Mechanism
- How traditional and social media extend a country's soft power.
- Digital media, image-building, and the "image battles" of international politics.
- Global news networks such as BBC and Al Jazeera as diplomatic tools.
Module 6: Building and Sustaining Soft Power for the Future
- Education, cultural exchange, and the green economy as long-term investments in influence.
- Engaging with rising powers such as China and India.
- The role of alliances, NGOs and academic institutions in coordinating soft power efforts.