Bucharest – Romania
Lead – Institut Français de Roumanie (IFRo)
Work Package 5
28-29. November 2024
Problems to be addressed
- Cultural Diplomacy Tools: Examining the instruments of cultural diplomacy, from European Capitals of Culture to academic cooperation.
- East-West Europe Relations: Examining historical and contemporary dynamics of cultural diplomacy during and after the Cold War
- Reconciliation and Representation: Investigating how cultural policies and artistic practices shape international relations and promote reconciliation.
Target groups
- Academics and researchers in cultural diplomacy and history
- Students of international relations, cultural studies, and history
- Cultural workers
- Diplomats
The Questions for this event
- How have cultural diplomacy tools evolved across Europe, from the Cold War to the present day?
- What role did informal exchanges play in fostering cultural ties between Eastern and Western Europe?
- How can art, education, and cultural policies act as tools for reconciliation and bridge-building?
- What lessons can be drawn from past cultural diplomacy efforts for shaping future practices in the context of modern political divides?
Presenters-Speakers-Artists-Actors
Oana-Valentina Suciu
NARDIV Team Member for Work Package 7 Sustainability
Assistant Professor for Political Sociology and Cultural Diplomacy (Universitatea din Bucuresti)
Presentation Title: European Capitals of Culture as Tools for Cultural Diplomacy
Jean-Michel de Waele
Professor of Political Science (Université Libre de Bruxelles)
Presentation Title: La coopération universitaire comme instrument de diplomatie culturelle
Petia Gueorguieva
Senior Assistant Professor (Nouvelle Université Bulgare)
Presentation Title: La coopération franco-bulgare dans le domaine de la recherche
Ioana Popa
Research Officer (Institut des sciences sociales politique)
Presentation Title: L’amorce des circuits d’internationalisation scientifiques Est-Ouest:
un programme français d’échanges à la jonction des diplomaties culturelles de guerre froide
Ioana Maria Cusin
Researcher (Universitatea din Bucuresti)
Presentation Title: The illusion of freedom? East and West reception in communist Romania
Ioana Hermine Fierbințeanu
Researcher (Universitatea din Bucuresti)
Presentation Title: The illusion of freedom? East and West reception in communist Romania
Mioara Anton
Historian (Institutul Nicolae Iorga)
Presentation Title: British Cultural Diplomacy in communist Romania. Hope and Disappointments.
Domnica Gorovei
Senior University Lecturer (Universitatea din Bucuresti)
Presentation Title: Cultural policy of the Romanian communist regime in Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso
Caterina Preda
Associate Professor (Universitatea din Bucuresti)
Presentation Title: Informal cultural diplomacy during the Cold War: the case of the artist Corneliu Petrescu
Cristina Godun
NARDIV Team Member in Work Package 7 Sustainability
Romanian Translator of Polish Literature and Researcher (Universitatea din Bucuresti)
Presentation Title: Dracula versus Sobieski. Culture as a tool to build (and promote) the Polish country brand
Pierre-Frédéric Weber
NARDIV Team Member in Work Package 3 Postcolonialism cosmopolitanism vs National Interests
Professor for History and Political Science (Uniwersytet Szczecinski)
Presentation Title: Les réconciliations en Europe – 1945, 1989 et au-delà: entre succès bilatéraux et malentendus transeuropéens
Gabriel Horatiu Decuble
NARDIV Lead for Work Package 7 Sustainability
Professor of German and Comparative Literature (Universitatea din Bucuresti)
Presentation Title: Freiburg meets Iași. A one-of-a-kind academic partnership behind the Iron Curtain
Irina Nastasă-Matei
Associate Professor (Universitatea din Bucuresti)
Presentation Title: Academic Encounters Between Romania and West Germany
Irina Cărăbaș
Assistant Professor (Universitatea Națională de Arte)
Presentation Title: Exhibiting Socialist Realism on Both Sides of the Iron Curtain: Artistic Exchanges between Romania and France in early 1950.
Dragoș Jipa
Lecturer (Universitatea din Bucuresti)
Presentation Title: Les lecteurs français en Roumanie pendant les années 1960 ou les limites des échanges culturels
Alina Popescu
Researcher (Institut National de l’Histoire de l’Art)
Presentation Title: When Clothing Speaks Politics: Fashion as a Vector of Exchanges between Romania and France in the Communist Era
Presentation Title: Lorsque le vêtement parle politique : La mode comme vecteur d’échanges entre la Roumanie et la France à l’époque communiste
Florin Țurcanu
Historian (Universitatea din Bucuresti)
Presentation Title: Circulation du livre et diplomatie culturelle française dans les relations avec la Roumanie pendant les années 1970 et 1980
Cristian Preda
NARDIV Team Member for Work Package 7 Sustainability
Professor for Political Science (Universitatea din Bucuresti)
Presentation Title: Comment et pourquoi présenter une „France moderne” à Bucarest en 1989?
Prof. Dr. Nicole Colin
NARDIV Scientific Coordinator
Professor for German Culture and History (Aix-Marseille Université)
Presentation Title: Diplomatie théâtrale dans la Guerre Froide : Bertolt Brecht comme médiateur malgré lui entre Est et Ouest
The Answers from this event
Cultural Diplomacy as a Tool for Dialogue
The conference emphasized how cultural diplomacy serves as a platform for international dialogue, reconciliation, and understanding.
Practical Applications in Modern Diplomacy
Examples from European Capitals of Culture and university partnerships demonstrated how cultural diplomacy can be implemented in contemporary contexts.
The Role of Informal Networks
Presentations highlighted how informal cultural exchanges, such as art exhibitions and media partnerships, played a vital role during the Cold War and continue to be relevant today.
Historical Reflections for Modern Challenges
Lessons from Cold War cultural diplomacy were used to discuss current political divides, particularly in light of tensions related to Russia’s war in Ukraine.