Habibreza Arzani
Abstract
Cultural diplomacy is a form of public diplomacy and soft power. Each country employs various methods and formats to establish cultural diplomacy. One approach to cultural diplomacy is selecting and activating cultural attaches and counsellors in the host country. A cultural attache is a diplomat responsible ...
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Cultural diplomacy is a form of public diplomacy and soft power. Each country employs various methods and formats to establish cultural diplomacy. One approach to cultural diplomacy is selecting and activating cultural attaches and counsellors in the host country. A cultural attache is a diplomat responsible for promoting and disseminating their country's culture in the host country, in line with the national interests of their own country. The selection of cultural attaches may be based on various patterns and criteria. The main focus of this current research is the selection pattern of cultural attaches of the Islamic Republic of Iran based on the concerns and expectations of international cultural governance officials in the Islamic Republic of Iran, with an emphasis on cultural diplomacy in England. Therefore, the aim of this research is to find a comprehensive and common criterion for the competency of cultural attache of the Islamic Republic of Iran abroad, which serves Islamic and national interests for our country. This research was conducted using qualitative methods and in-depth interviews with cultural officials in the international arena. The statements of heads of authorities, cultural officials, and the directives of Imam Khomeini and the Supreme Leader regarding foreign relations and international affairs are the sources of this article. The research findings are categorized into 214 components in 23 dimensions and 6 general domains (cognitive, planning/strategic, communicative/interactive, stylistic/methodological, managerial/executive, and advisory/guidance). The most important result of this research is the design of a competency model for cultural attache based on the expectations of the cultural governance system in 6 domains.
