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Chinese and US health diplomacy as a soft power tool during Ebola and COVID-19 epidemics
Kratschmer, Adam ; Hornát, Jan (advisor) ; Raška, Francis (referee)
This master's thesis addresses health diplomacy as a tool of 'soft power' and focuses on a comparative analysis of the health strategies of China and the United States. It examines health policy strategy as a means of influence in three selected African countries: Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea. These countries were most affected by the Ebola epidemic, and the thesis tracks how the strategies of the USA and China changed from Ebola to COVID-19 epidemic. The study employs case study methodology and assesses the nature, scope, and course of health diplomacy initiatives of both countries. The analysis is structured according to five key aspects of health diplomacy: aid and assistance, cooperation and collaboration, communication and messaging, long-term investment and partnerships, and impact and acceptance. The findings of the thesis indicate that during both epidemics, the USA provided technical expertise and financial assistance, while China focused on direct aid and infrastructure investment. Even though China tried to create the impression of a reliable global partner, it is evident from the analysis that it mainly preferred bilateral relations and especially strengthened its own influence. Although there was cooperation between the USA and China during Ebola, the dynamics changed during...
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Russian soft power under Putin: The case of Cyprus
Varnava Tsiappas, Georgios ; Romancov, Michael (advisor) ; Doboš, Bohumil (referee)
This thesis explores Russian soft power in Cyprus and how Russia uses specific techniques and strategies to exert this influence. Divided into eight sections, including a literature review on soft power, key concepts, theoretical framework, research methodology, historical overview and analysis of soft power tools employed by Russia; it reveals that Russia implements diverse methods such as media coverage, religious tactics cultural interventions or economic incentives in order to shape Cyprus' perceptions. Furthermore, the study demonstrates through exploration of domestic politics and societal attitudes towards Russian culture or values that their approach is indeed effective. This thesis, due to its uniqueness, contributes significantly to the academic literature regarding Russian soft power in the Eastern Mediterranean and specifically in Cyprus.
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Media-facilitated Nation Branding: the Case Study of Brave Ukraine
Kazymyr, Daria ; Švecová, Martina (advisor) ; Jarolímková, Zuzana (referee)
This thesis paper discusses the application of nation branding through the realm of political communication. With the confluence of adept players and global perspectives across the communication, political, and media fields, the prominence of modern-day practices such as nation branding has taken on greater significance. Effective media management tactics also redefined the possibilities of public diplomacy, empowering nations to promote their ideas and beliefs on both national and international scales. The main goal of this research, therefore, is to highlight the pivotal role of countries crafting their public image for foreign audiences and the immense potential of the usage of various communication means and mediums to amplify the impact of their efforts. Another objective is to discuss the role of digital media when setting the country's politically-aligned public image. The case of Ukraine is offered to the readers as a comprehensive analysis of its nation branding campaign Brave Ukraine, encompassing an evaluation of its objectives, content, and execution. The empirical study of the effectiveness of this campaign on its foreign audiences, which was researched through a series of in-depth interviews, offers valuable insights into the interplay between a nation's public image, digital media,...
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From Neo-Ottomanism to Pragmatism? Turkey's Foreign Policy in Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2009
Makovac, Mirna ; Brisku, Adrian (advisor) ; Žíla, Ondřej (referee)
Bibliographic note MAKOVAC, Mirna. "From Neo-Ottomanism to Pragmatism? Turkey's Foreign Policy in Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2009." Master's Thesis, Charles University, 2023. Abstract The thesis aims to analyze the development of Turkey's foreign policy towards Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2009, with a focus on the reciprocity between neo-Ottomanism and pragmatism. This will be presented following the political, cultural, and economic role of Turkey in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The main argument of the thesis is that there has been a shift from a values-based approach towards a more pragmatic orientation in Turkey's relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina. The thesis aims to answer the research question of to what extent has this shift had any impact on its relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2009. The findings indicate that Turkey's foreign policy in Bosnia and Herzegovina can be seen as a blend of both neo- Ottoman and pragmatic elements, depending on Turkey's activity in the country, but in recent years pragmatism prevails. In spite of that, pragmatism didn't negatively affect the positive and close relations between Turkey and Bosnia and Herzegovina but it further strengthened the ties between these countries. Keywords Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina, foreign policy, diplomacy, neo-Ottomanism,...
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Internet governance in Putin's Russia - a long term perspective
Novák, Adam ; Solovyeva, Anzhelika (advisor) ; Střítecký, Vít (referee)
Master's thesis abstract Internet Governance in Putin's Russia - a long-term perspective This longitudinal case study is dedicated to the analysis of the development behind Russia's approach to Internet governance. By qualitatively researching the development of the Kremlin's approach to Internet governance, this thesis aims to capture the learning process behind regulating the cyberspace in Russia. As such, the aim is to understand what kind of events have shaped its perception of how Internet and the underpinning infrastructure should be approached to increase the regime's stability. Building on the concepts of digital authoritarianism and authoritarian learning and by understanding learning as a long-term process with turning points, this thesis aims to answer these research questions. How does Russia's digital authoritarianism manifest? Which events, both domestic and international, hastened the pace and intensity of cyberspace regulation in Russia? Can we identify a learning process behind Russia's long-term approach towards Internet regulation? For these ends, the turning points refer to events after which we can identify a change in the perception of Internet governance and/or intensification in controlling the online information space. As such, with the help of periodization, the thesis traces the...
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Nation Branding of Middle East Countries: The case of Saudi Arabia
Kolská, Martina ; Soukeník, Štěpán (advisor) ; Shavit, Anna (referee)
Changing a country's image is a complex process requiring long-term strategic effort. Nation brands are influenced by a wide range of external influences possibly causing negative images or stereotyping. Thus, regarding states, rebranding is often used to redefine the generally perceived image. Nonetheless, the image of a state is deeply rooted and cannot be changed by marketing tools and communication alone. Noticeable changes and policy actions are needed to create a strong communication basis for the development of a nation branding strategy. Countries generally having reputation problems are often non-democratic and the growth of their brand tends to be limited. The Middle East frequently faces negative image and stereotyping. At the same time, nation branding receives vast attention, effort and budgets there. Saudi Arabia launched its nation rebranding strategy by presenting the Vision 2030 document. This paper aims to determine the extent of nation branding multidisciplinarity in the Saudi context. A combination of a quantitative analysis of national branding indexes and semi-structured expert interviews is chosen. Nation branding in Saudi Arabia has experienced moderate growth, considerable professionalization, and the first strategic achievements of the Vision 2030 plan. On the contrary,...
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Geopolitics of faith: Russian Orthodox Church in Western Balkans
Maraš, Darija ; Romancov, Michael (advisor) ; Doboš, Bohumil (referee)
The study seeks to explore the Russian Orthodox Church's influence on the Western Balkan region from 2005 to 2014, using the soft power theory pioneered by Joseph Nye. The existing cultural ties between majority Orthodox countries in the region and Russian Orthodox Church created an environment that is prone to cultural influence coming from the Church. Using Joseph Nye's description of the public diplomacy mechanism (which is behind soft power application), this work analyzes Russian Orthodox Church activities in the region, establishing that Serbia appeared to be the most prioritized in the Church's public diplomacy, followed by Montenegro, North Macedonia and Republika Srpska respectively. As soft power theory assumes, its application must bring out certain changes, that are produced by the power of attraction. Not surprisingly, Serbia adopted a number of laws that correspond to the stimuli coming from the Church, with less success in the remaining three countries, but with visible results associated with the Church's public diplomacy. The work solidifies the notion that the Russian Orthodox Church has a measurable effect on certain political outcomes in the Western Balkan countries.
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Soft power and Nation branding of South Korea: A Case Study of Korean activities in the Czech Republic
Chyňavová, Anna ; Koudelková, Petra (advisor) ; Hejlová, Denisa (referee)
The aim of this Diploma Thesis is to explore dynamic development and tendencies of South Korea, focusing mainly on ambitions exhibited in recent decades. By using and defining concepts such as soft power, nation branding and middle power, which are rather new in the academic sphere, the following chapter applies the theoretical background directly on South Korean motives and achievements in terms of positioning itself as a significant player in an international sphere and becoming a country of high repute. This Thesis describes resources, instruments and key agents of soft power, contextualizing important happenings by adding historical or cultural circumstances. These findings serve as the base for the following case study focusing on South Korean soft power in the Czech Republic. To answer the main question of this Thesis, to what extent is South Korea successful in building its positive reputation in the Czech Republic, the qualitative content analysis is used for exploring the content of selected media. Overall findings show that South Korea is mostly reflected in positive light there, especially in connection with advanced technologies, innovations and strong commercial brands. The progress of maintaining the country's good reputation demonstrates the comparison of two periods eleven years...
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Russian soft power towards Austria on the example of cultural and educational policy in the years 2014 to 2019
Jiříček, Dalibor ; Svoboda, Karel (advisor) ; Šír, Jan (referee)
The diploma thesis deals with the transformation of Russian soft power on the example of cultural and educational policy toward Austria in the years 2014 to 2019. The first chapter justifies the choice of topic and draws on the common history of Russia and Austria, economic, political and security relations. The area of tourism and culture of remembrance is also mentioned. The second chapter describes the theoretical discussion of the concept of soft power from the perspective of various authors. Starting from the general concept, the attention is further devoted to precisely focused definitions concerning education with an overlap in the field of culture. The third main chapter analyzes the examined policy in detail on the example of three key instruments. The greatest attention is paid to the "Russian Center" at the University of Salzburg and also to the "Russian Center" at the University of Innsbruck and the "Russian House in Vienna". The development of their programs, projects and other activities is discussed. At the same time, the fulfilment of goals and partnerships with other institutions and organizations in Austria, Germany and Russia are monitored. The activities of these three institutions are also viewed from the perspective of theory. Within their goals and program activities,...
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