Correspondence: Antônio F. de Lima Jr., 39, Rua Grecia, Ibituruna, Montes Claros, MG, Brazil. Tel: +55 38 3213 6489; e-mail: afljunior@hotmail.com

¹is a Brazilian graduate in International Relations with a Master's degree in Diplomacy, Law and Global Change (Coventry University, UK). His main achievements are: (i) distinguished student award; (ii) honourable mention award for monograph course-work. Topic: Internationalization of Brazilian Universities; (iii) committee's director of United Nations simulation models; and (iv) Alban scholarship grantee — an EU Scholarship of high performance for Latin American students.

Received 5 July 2007; Revised 5 July 2007.

Abstract

What follows is an analysis of the role of international educational exchanges in public diplomacy. The overall argument is that international educational exchanges have an important role to play in public diplomacy, particularly because face-to-face contact between nationals of different countries helps to diminish stereotypes and ultimately facilitates inter-cultural communication. Yet it will be held that it is less evident or certain that the host country's foreign policy will be cast in a favourable light because of international educational exchanges. The first section of the paper aims to develop a conceptual framework of the subject matter and discusses the concepts of public diplomacy and international educational exchange. The penultimate section analyses the role of international educational exchanges in public diplomacy. Finally, the last section consists of a case study of the Fulbright Exchange Programme and its role in American public diplomacy.