A research collaboration to inform UK soft power strategy

The fellowship gave an opportunity to examine UK cultural diplomacy in Europe, identifying long-term trends; what has worked and what hasn’t. The findings are explored in the report UK Cultural Diplomacy in Europe 1989-2025: Lessons and Implications for Future UK Soft Power Strategy. As well as offering policy recommendations on the future of UK soft power strategy in Europe, the report also provides broader historical insight into the role and impact of cultural diplomacy and cultural relations within international affairs.

Soft power is high on the government’s agenda, as evidenced by the launch of the UK Soft Power Council in January 2025 and the development of a new Soft Power strategy. Assessing persisting policy challenges and opportunities in light of the past offers evidence-based domestic and international policy recommendations with the aim of providing applicable insights for policymakers.

While the Cold War has attracted the interest of many historians of soft power and cultural diplomacy, very little has been written about the breakdown of the iron curtain and the years that followed the Fall of the Berlin Wall. This co-created project combined historical research, stakeholder interviews and qualitative analysis to provide policy insights and recommendations on the future of UK soft power strategy in Europe.