Doha: Katara Public Diplomacy organised yesterday a lecture entitled “Soft Power” by Dr. Marwan Kabalan, where he stressed that Qatar’s hosting of the World Cup is the most notable achievement the country has achieved in the public diplomacy field.
Dr. Kabalan is a Syrian academic and writer and currently the Director of Policy Analysis at the Arab Centre for Research and Policy Studies, and Head of Diplomatic Studies Programme at Doha Institute for Graduate Studies. He highlighted during his lecture that during the past years, Qatar has achieved a series of successes in the field of public diplomacy, particularly the successful and impressive organisation of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
The lecture held at Katara Building 15 was attended by Saif Saad Al Dosari, Acting Deputy General Manager of Katara Operations and Director of the Human Resources Department, and Ali bin Hassan Al Hammadi, Secretary-General of Qatar Red Crescent Society, and a number of members of the diplomatic corps and elite businessmen, academics and media professionals.
Among the other successes the country has achieved in the said field are mediating and settling international disputes that the state has undertaken for more than two decades, which contributed to strengthening international peace and security, in addition to its remarkable achievements in the areas of Qatari soft power such as education and aid the development and relief provided by Qatar on a large scale to many poor and needy countries in the world.
The lecturer dealt with the uses of the state’s soft power and its objectives on the external level by creating a supportive environment for the state’s policies and directions in another country, as well as creating an environment in another country by promoting cultural products.
Dr. Kabalan said the sources soft power are represented in culture, whether it includes literature, art and education and affects the elites, or popular culture that focuses on the public, as well as political values that affect the choices of others.
He mentioned that the soft power tools embodied in cultural exchange programmes, language education programmes, student scholarships, and the establishment of cultural institutes abroad, in addition to strengthening communication with countries of the world through the establishment of media in several languages to ensure easier interaction with others interested in the concerned country.
Also, sending missions of teachers, doctors, engineers, offering and receiving courses, to receive courses, or even to work abroad, and professional media production such as films, series, or even books, and novels.
