For decades, the United States stood as the world’s dominant cultural power, shaping global life through Hollywood, Pop Culture, and Silicon Valley. Today, that influence is shifting. Since Donald Trump’s second presidential term began in 2025, Washington has pursued a course that not only reduces cultural outreach – such as cutting exchange programmes like Fulbright – but also signals a substantial shift in geopolitical strategy. The recently published US strategy paper calls for the US to exert significant influence over Europe’s political development, and even encourages „resistance to the current course“ within Europe, raising alarm in European countries. At the same time, international organizations such as UNESCO and the WHO have lost a key partner. The result is a cultural vacuum felt worldwide – from lecture halls to museums to state-funded media.
What happens when the former soft power superpower loses its appeal? Who will step in to fill the gap, and what opportunities does this create for Europe to redefine its cultural role? In this episode, Amira El Ahl discusses these tectonic shifts in global influence with Edward Knudsen, who shares insights from his latest report, “Domination Without Hegemony? The Emerging Contest to Fill the US’ Soft Power Vacuum”, published by the ifa research program in cooperation with the Hertie School.
Shownotes:
Find the ECP report: “Domination Without Hegemony? The Emerging Contest to Fill the US’ Soft Power Vacuum” under: https://culturalrelations.ifa.de/en/research/results/ecp-report-usa-softpower-vacuum/
Find the recording of Edward Knudsen’s presentation of the report here: https://youtu.be/sxZvIo-WCJlw?si=_S2NYekVwxmS3hzH
For all other information visit our website: https://culturalrelations.ifa.de/en/ To learn more about ifa: https://www.ifa.de/en/
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email us at podcast@ifa.de
For decades, the United States stood as the world’s dominant cultural power, shaping global life through Hollywood, Pop Culture, and Silicon Valley. Today, that influence is shifting. Since Donald Trump’s second presidential term began in 2025, Washington has pursued a course that not only reduces cultural outreach – such as cutting exchange programmes like Fulbright – but also signals a substantial shift in geopolitical strategy. The recently published US strategy paper calls for the US to exert significant influence over Europe’s political development, and even encourages „resistance to the current course“ within Europe, raising alarm in European countries. At the same time, international organizations such as UNESCO and the WHO have lost a key partner. The result is a cultural vacuum felt worldwide – from lecture halls to museums to state-funded media.
What happens when the former soft power superpower loses its appeal? Who will step in to fill the gap, and what opportunities does this create for Europe to redefine its cultural role? In this episode, Amira El Ahl discusses these tectonic shifts in global influence with Edward Knudsen, who shares insights from his latest report, “Domination Without Hegemony? The Emerging Contest to Fill the US’ Soft Power Vacuum”, published by the ifa research program in cooperation with the Hertie School.
Shownotes:
Find the ECP report: “Domination Without Hegemony? The Emerging Contest to Fill the US’ Soft Power Vacuum” under: https://culturalrelations.ifa.de/en/research/results/ecp-report-usa-softpower-vacuum/
Find the recording of Edward Knudsen’s presentation of the report here: https://youtu.be/sxZvIo-WCJlw?si=_S2NYekVwxmS3hzH
For all other information visit our website: https://culturalrelations.ifa.de/en/ To learn more about ifa: https://www.ifa.de/en/
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email us at podcast@ifa.de
Even today, colonial structures are still firmly anchored in cultural institutions and international relations. A decolonising perspective and critical approaches can contribute to changing these structures. The North American Cultural Diplomacy Initiative (NACDI) advocates for equitable and inclusive cultural relations. The International Cultural Relations Research Alliance (ICRRA) is a network that brings together international researchers and practitioners to develop new approaches and perspectives.
In this episode of Die Kulturmittler:innen – Deep Dive Sarah Smith and Lynda Jessup talk about the role of decolonisation in international cultural relations and cultural diplomacy. The episode offers exciting insights into the challenges and opportunities of decolonisation and the transformative power of art in international relations.
More on NACDI can be found here: North American Cultural Diplomacy Initiative – NACDI For more information on the ICRRA network click here: International Cultural Relations Research Alliance (ICRRA) – ifa
For all other information visit our website: culturalrelations.ifa.de To learn more about ifa: ifa.de
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email us at podcast@ifa.de.