Another edition of the “Rethinking Leadership” Oxford Seminar Series is behind us. This time we gathered to talk about cultural diplomacy, building friendly relations between nations and understanding their deepest nature. This is the last Oxford Seminar this year.
The meeting began with a speech by Dr. Marta de Zuniga, director of the Polish Cultural Institute in London. Our speaker introduced us to the idea of cultural diplomacy. While it is often seen as a subtle way of exercising power, cultural diplomacy provides an alternative, more informal and relational dimension to it. Under this phenomenon, understanding and trust are built between the parties getting to know each other. Cultural diplomacy is also more than showing off to each other – rather, it is a creative and enriching exchange that allows partnerships to be built on a foundation of deeper mutual understanding. According to de Zuniga, South Korea is an excellent example of a country that has been able to use the rise of Korean culture in its official policy to conduct a highly effective global campaign in the field of cultural diplomacy.
Later in the seminar, Julia Griffin, an art historian and curator, told us a compelling story about how Polish culture has been presented to the British in recent years. This included portraying unfamiliar Polish culture through familiar tropes. Particularly successful in this regard was the research and exhibition project “Young Poland: the Arts and Crafts Movement,” which ran from 2019 to 2022. Despite the pandemic, it was a great success and resulted in tens of thousands of visitors and increased interest in Polish culture, especially from the Young Poland period. British viewers were able to see and understand how even everyday objects had a symbolic meaning, conveying and cultivating Polish national identity during the difficult times of partition.
The final speaker was Dr. Janina Ramirez, a historian and writer at Harris Manchester College in Oxford, who addressed the profound question of the “soul of the nation.” As someone who works in Britain and is partly of Irish descent, she took us deep into early medieval history, where the foundations of English and Irish identity were formed. We learned more about St. Augustine of Canterbury and St. Columba as the spiritual fathers of the two nations. We also learned more about the Book of Durrow – an amazing relic of history and the oldest surviving illuminated manuscript in the world.
After the speeches, we answered questions from the audience, both those present in person and those watching us online. We further explored the idea of the soul of a nation, and ended the meeting with a brief summary by Michal Luczewski. As he summarized, in order to know someone’s soul, it is necessary for both parties to take off their masks, expose their insides and create space for the other person to enter. A deep bond is the foundation of friendship not only between individuals, but even nations in international diplomatic relations – hence the importance of cultural diplomacy in the modern world.
We would like to thank our invaluable Partners – the Center for Democracy and Peace Building, the Polish Cultural Institute, the Oxford Polish Association and the Center for the Resolution of Intractable Conflict. We are also extremely grateful for the generous support of the Polish National Foundation.
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