NARDIV - United in Narrative Diversity?
Welcome, visitor.
How do you put cultural diplomacy in a museum?
It is not something you can simply place behind glass.
Cultural diplomacy happens between people, institutions and countries. It travels through books and films, exhibitions and conversations, political ideas and personal encounters. It has a history - but it is also constantly changing.
The Virtual Museum grew out of NARDIV, a European research project exploring diversity, narratives and new approaches to cultural diplomacy. Based in Bucharest and connected to the Master of Arts in Cultural Diplomacy at the University of Bucharest, it is designed to keep growing.
Instead of offering one definition or telling one story, this museum invites you to explore. Look into the past. Enter Europe. Discover NARDIV. Listen to different voices. Think about your own future. Browse the library. Or find out where you can study - and help create - cultural diplomacy yourself.
There is no prescribed route.
The doors are open. Where would you like to begin?
PAST
Historical View on Cultural Diplomacy
How did we get here?
Cultural diplomacy has a history - and not always an innocent one.
Countries have long used culture to represent themselves abroad, build relationships and exercise influence. But the ideas, institutions and practices behind cultural diplomacy have changed considerably over time.
Follow the timeline to discover some of its turning points - and some ideas that once seemed self-evident but are now being questioned.
Inside this room
- An interactive timeline of key moments and turning points
- Important institutions, people and concepts
- Documents, images and examples from different periods
- Connections to current debates about reciprocity, representation and decolonisation
EUROPE
European Cultural Diplomacy
Can Europe speak through culture?
What happens when cultural diplomacy is no longer only national?
Europe has created new spaces for cultural cooperation across borders. The European Union supports cultural programmes, international partnerships and networks - while culture itself remains deeply connected to national, regional and local identities.
Explore how European cultural diplomacy works, who shapes it, and where its possibilities - and limits - lie.
Inside this room
- Short conceptual definitions
- European legal and policy frameworks
- Key institutions, initiatives and networks
- Examples of cultural cooperation across borders
NARDIV
Rethinking Cultural Diplomacy
Whose story is being told - and from where?
Who speaks for whom? Whose stories become visible? And what happens when different memories, identities and narratives meet?
NARDIV brought together researchers, students, cultural practitioners and institutions from different European contexts to explore diversity, narratives and cultural diplomacy.
One of its central concerns is asymmetry. What happens when partners do not have the same resources, visibility or power to define the terms of cultural exchange? NARDIV pays particular attention to persistent East-West asymmetries within Europe, while questioning simple divisions between a homogeneous "East" and "West".
This room presents what happened along the way: research and debates, projects and encounters, publications and recommendations, voices and experiences - but also questions that remain open.
Inside this room
- The NARDIV project, partners and research questions
- East-West asymmetries, diversity, narratives and representation
- Projects, case studies, events and Summer Schools
- Recommendations and project results
- Direct links to NARDIV Open Access publications
YOUR FUTURE
Opportunities for Young People
Could cultural diplomacy be for you?
Cultural diplomacy is not only something to study. It is something people do.
They work in cultural institutes, museums, universities, NGOs, festivals, international organisations and many other places - often moving between several professional worlds.
Curious? Meet people working in the field, listen to their stories and discover some of the paths that could lead you there.
Inside this room
- Career paths and professional profiles
- Internships, fellowships and mobility opportunities
- Testimonials from practitioners and graduates
- Podcasts, interviews and stories from the field
LIBRARY
Digital Library
Stay a little longer.
Some visitors want to go deeper. This room is for them.
Browse our collection of NARDIV publications, articles, books, reports, policy documents and bibliographical resources on cultural diplomacy and related fields.
All NARDIV texts and publications will be linked here in Open Access wherever publication rights permit. You do not need to be a specialist to enter - but you may leave as one.
Inside this room
- NARDIV Publications - a permanent Open Access gateway
- Explore the Field - a curated bibliography and selected resources
- Research articles, reports and policy documents
- Links from publications to related rooms and themes
STUDY & CREATE
Master of Arts in Cultural Diplomacy
Learn. Question. Contribute.
Want to explore these questions further?
The Master of Arts in Cultural Diplomacy at the University of Bucharest brings cultural diplomacy into the classroom - and the classroom into cultural practice. Students encounter theories, institutions and policies, but also practitioners, projects and real-world challenges.
The Virtual Museum is part of this learning environment. Students and teachers help it grow through interviews, videos, seminar work, projects and new research. Future European partnerships, including Erasmus+ cooperation with other universities, can bring additional voices and perspectives into the museum.
Inside this room
- Programme overview and curriculum highlights
- Admission information
- Student interviews and teacher-student conversations
- Videos, seminars, guest lectures and selected student projects
- Future Erasmus+ and university partnerships
STUDENTS' ROOM
MCD Blog
Work in progress.
Every museum needs a space where new ideas are still taking shape.
The Students' Room is the working space of the MCD community: a place to exchange experiences, develop ideas, share discoveries and contribute to the Virtual Museum.
Some of the work created here may later move into the public rooms of the museum.
Inside this room
- Student reflections and project updates
- Shared resources and ideas for new museum content
- Peer exchange and collaborative work
- Connections with partner universities and cultural diplomacy networks