Culture, EU – Baltic States, Forum, Markets and Companies

The Nordic model has always had a large appeal to many. The Nordic economic and social welfare model has been widely recognized and has proved resistant to globalization and the recent international economic crisis. The Nordic countries have often been seen as leading states in international affairs while relying on their “soft powers”.

In recent years, other aspects of the Nordic model have also received increasing attention, including Nordic culture, e.g. in literature, architecture, TV-series and movies, cuisine, music and sports. As branding has come higher up the agenda, the Nordic countries have the ambitions to reach out more globally using the Nordic brand.

Regional cultural cooperation

The aim of the conference is to explore the Nordic foreign and cultural diplomacy by putting a spotlight on the experiences and strategies that have been successful in the past and analyzing the opportunity for the Nordic countries to make further use of their potentials in international cooperation and development. A special focus is on the regional cooperation with the Baltic States and Russia after the fall of the Berlin wall where the Nordic countries were actively supporting the democratic reform processes using a wide range of political and economic tools and instruments.

The conference will be opened by the Danish Minister of Culture Marianne Jelved. At the opening ceremony several prominent high-level international speakers participate, e.g. the Speaker of the Danish Parliament Mogens Lykketoft and the Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers Dagfinn Høybråten. Also, Halldór Ásgrímsson, former Prime Minister of Iceland, Bertel Haarder, MP, former minister of education, development and integration, as well as Lene Espersen, MP and Chairman of Baltic Development Forum took part in the conference.      

The event is supported by the Nordic Council of Ministers.    

Different aspects of “cultural diplomacy are discussed. Below is the short vision on the main panels’ discussion:

= The Power of Culture in International Cooperation, Trust Building and Peace: Nordic experiences

This session explores the potential of culture as a tool to reinforce international cooperation by building trust within a political and socio-economic framework. Furthermore, the session presents and analyzes Nordic experiences in order to unearth best practices in maintaining peace and strengthening ties of cooperation. Among the panelists in the session are Ole Wæver, Professor and Jakob Skovgaard Petersen, Professor both from University of Copenhagen and Morten Traavik, Norwegian Artist and Director.

= Soft Powers of Culture: Media and Creative Industries

The focus of this session is on soft power, a crucial component of peaceful dialogue and improved intra-national relations. Culture, media and creative industries represent practical means of pursuing these soft power goals and therefore create the possibility for further cooperation from abroad whilst also strengthening the existing bonds. Among the panelists at the session are: Michael Metz Mørch, Ambassador, Director, DanishCultural Institute; Rasmus Wiinstedt Tscherning, Director, Center for Cultural and Experience Economy; Dr. Marie-Louise von Plessen, Art Historian & Curator, and Jonas Eder-Hansen, Development Director, Danish Fashion Institute.

= Branding and Cultural Diplomacy: conflicting or complementary?

This session explores the relationship between the concepts of nation branding and cultural diplomacy. It discusses the different strategies used to influence or change the way in which a country or region is presented, and thus perceived, abroad. Among the panelists are Bernd Henningsen, Professor, Humboldt University; Marcus Andersson, Partner, Tendensor; Ole Egberg Mikkelsen, Ambassador, Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Geir Helgesen, Director, Nordic Institute of Asian Studies.

= The Power of Culture in Regional Cooperation, Nordic-Baltic-Russian Cooperation

This session explores significant impacts of culture on strengthening the multilateral relations. It discusses cultural relations between different regions of the world today, with a special focus on the distinctive Nordic-Baltic-Russian relations and cooperation. Among the panelists are: Annika Rembe, CEO, Swedish Institute, Karina Petersone, Director, Latvian Institute, and Lene Espersen, Chairman, Baltic Development Forum .

= The Nordic States role in promoting effective global cooperation

The final session analyzes the Nordic countries’ potential for further international engagement through a combination of soft power and hard power strategies. It explores the ways the resulting ‘smart power’ policies be implemented more substantially on a wider global stage to promote more effective cooperation with other countries. The panelists at the session are: Bertel Haarder, Former Minister, Vice President of the Danish Parliament and Chairman of the Danish Delegation to the Nordic Council; Halldor Asgrimsson, Former Minister and former Secretary General of Nordic Council of Ministers; Karl-Erik Norrman, Former Swedish Ambassador, Secretary General, European Cultural Parliament, Member of the Faculty, Center for Cultural Diplomacy Studies.