Future of Soft Power and Development Workshop

Undergraduate / Graduate

At a moment when foreign assistance budgets are under unprecedented pressure and the geopolitics of soft power are being rewritten, this two-day workshop offers participants a timely look at how these tools operate - and where they are headed. Through case studies, structured debate, and hands-on team exercises, participants will move from theory to practice: mapping the competing interests of donors, multilaterals, NGOs, and host-country stakeholders; weighing the risks and rewards of different soft power instruments; and sharpening the advocacy skills needed to design and champion a development program in realistic country settings. Participants will leave with a sharper analytical framework and practical strategies for navigating an increasingly complex and contested development landscape. This class is only open to Harris students.