地方高校参与周边公共外交的实践与思考

Reflections on Practicing Public Diplomacy by Colleges in Border Areas

地方高校是周边公共外交中不容忽视的新生力量.特别是位于中国边境省区的地方高校,依托于所在省市与周边国家在历史渊源、经济贸易、文化交流、人员往来等方面的密切联系,往往成为开展周边公共外交的重要平台,具备成为周边公共外交智库和人才培养基地的潜力.地方高校参与周边公共外交也存在资源有限、参与意识不足等问题,但地方高校服务于周边公共外交的潜力能否得到更好的挖掘,归根到底取决于中央对总体外交统筹能力的提升.

Universities and colleges are a new force for promoting peripheral public diplomacy in China. The colleges in border areas, in particular, usually serve as important platforms for China's public diplomacy with peripheral countries as the border areas are historically, economically and demographically more connected with the peripheral countries than other areas. For these reasons universities and colleges in these areas can develop into diplomatic think tanks and potential bases for cultivating public diplomacy professionals. Problems hampering the schools' participation in public diplomacy include limited resources and a lack of keen awareness, and the capacity of the central leadership in coordinating China's diplomacy remains central to enabling these schools to exercise their full potential.