Our research project suggests to review these processes of alienation through the prism of post-colonial theory, taking the political and cultural relations materialising the field of cultural diplomacy as a case. We ask to what extent the cultural diplomacy of the EU countries in East and West reflects ethnocentrism, as for example in nation branding approaches to cultural diplomacy. To what extent, by contrast, does it contributes to a better mutual understanding in international relations? Are success stories of the past, like the de-escalation in post WWII Europe, for example in the French-German or, more recently, Dutch-German relations, transferable to current East-West relations within Europe? Or are they, on the contrary, a perpetuation of the tendencies of ‘old’ Europe ‘teaching’ the ‘newcomers’ inapplicable lessons, thus shaping mutual perceptions in the long term in a negative way?

Founding members

Dr Christian Noack (UvA)
Prof. Beata Ociepka (Uniwersytet Wrocławski)
Prof. Pierre-Frédéric Weber (Uniwersytet Szczeciński)