As 2011 begins, CPD already has a full agenda for the coming months. We are preparing for our conference, "Faith Diplomacy: Religion and Global Publics," which will take place March 25 at USC. Before then, we will be hosting an array of events: Professor Jay Wang's report on his work at the 2010 Shanghai Expo; a visit from the Turkish ambassador to the United States; an author's talk about a new book on UNESCO; a screening of Walt and El Grupo, a documentary about Walt Disney's public diplomacy visit to South America in 1941; and more.

We are also carefully watching new developments in the practice of public diplomacy, such as stepped-up international broadcasting efforts by China and Russia, among others. The roles of satellite television and social media in the uprising in Tunisia also provide important lessons for public diplomats. I urge you to join us in keeping abreast of such events by visiting the PDiN (Public Diplomacy in the News) page on our website, subscribing to our PDiN Monitor, and reading our bloggers' analysis in the CPD Blog. And, as always, please let us know if you have comments or questions about our work.

Sincerely,

Director, USC Center on Public Diplomacy