2022 Global Humanities Symposium: Engaging in Cultural Diplomacy

The Meridian Center for Cultural Diplomacy and the National Endowment for the Humanities is pleased to host the 2022 Global Humanities Symposium: Observing Cultural Diplomacy on Thursday, July 21, 2022 from 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM ET in-person at Meridian House and virtually for a global audience.

Cultural diplomacy harnesses visual art, music, literature, film, material culture, and more, resulting in individuals and communities finding common ground, forging more stable relationships, and fostering mutual respect. For the inaugural Global Humanities Symposium, the theme is “Engage,” a crucial step in building bridges across cultures.

The Global Humanities Symposium will examine the following themes:

• Material Culture: examining how objects created, used, kept, and left behind by people have been used as representations of cultural heritage and shape bilateral relations
• Music Diplomacy: studying how music has been used to promote mutual understanding, collaboration, and change cultural perceptions
• Visual Art Diplomacy: exploring the conversation around cultural appreciation and shared artistic achievements

Speakers and Panelists

Keynote Speaker: Ambassador Cynthia P. Schneider, PhD

Dr. Schneider teaches, publishes, and organizes initiatives in the field of cultural diplomacy, with a focus on relations with the Muslim world. For the Brookings Institution she leads the Arts and Culture Initiative within the Saban Center for Middle East Policy.