Virtual participant on a panel discussion on the topic of the humanities & diplomacy. Here are some of the questions that we considered:

[Perspectives on diplomacy from the humanities] How do scholars in the humanities study diplomacy? How does diplomacy feature as a topic in our work? How does (or doesn’t) our scholarship illuminate the cultural, historical, and social dimensions that underpin international relations?

[The diplomatic use of knowledge in the humanities] How has our research been used (and abused) in geopolitical contexts (e.g., appropriation, reconciliation, the use of heritage or of historical narratives to make certain claims about the present, or of the use of language to foster or distort mutual understanding)?

[Scholars as diplomatic agents] What are the tasks that await the humanities in the shifting geopolitical constellation that we call Europe? How is are research affected by geopolitical concerns? What are the strategies and tactics that we need at the present time? Should or could the humanities contribute to the creation of soft-power strategies and global policy initiatives?