2026-06-25 –, Room 201 (Seats 42)
Following the 2017 Gulf diplomatic crisis, Qatar intensified its engagement with Asian states not only through energy partnerships but increasingly through cultural diplomacy. This paper examines how Qatar has used museums, heritage projects, education, and artistic exchange as strategic tools to strengthen its global position and reframe its international image. Focusing on Qatar’s cultural relations with China, Japan, Indonesia, and South Korea, the study explores how a small state mobilizes culture to sustain global connectivity amid shifting geopolitical conditions.
Drawing on case studies from Qatar Museums, including the Years of Culture program, traveling exhibitions, cultural friendship societies, and an ongoing landmark exhibition jointly organized by Qatar Museums and the National Museum of Korea—Islamic Art: A Journey of Splendor (2025–2026), in which the author is professionally involved—the paper analyzes how Qatar tailors its cultural diplomacy strategies to different Asian contexts. It combines institutional analysis with media discourse and policy review to assess how these initiatives shape perceptions of Qatar and foster long-term diplomatic relationships.
This research contributes to debates on soft power by moving beyond sport-centered analyses of Qatari diplomacy and highlighting the role of cultural institutions in sustaining transnational networks. It argues that cultural diplomacy functions as a critical mechanism through which small states remain globally connected in an era marked by geopolitical fragmentation, border controls, and regional realignments. By situating Qatar’s Asian engagements within broader global history frameworks, the paper offers insight into how culture operates as both a diplomatic tool and a site of global exchange in the post-globalization era.
Cultural diplomacy
Transnational exchange
Museums and heritage
Global history
Soft power
Qatar–Asia relations
East and Southeast Asia
Post-globalization
Gulf–Asia Cultural Relations
Khemara Chhorn is a Cambodian postgraduate student at the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures at the University of Manchester. Building on her professional experience in international relations and cultural diplomacy, her research investigates Qatar’s cultural diplomacy with key Asian countries—China, Japan, South Korea, and Indonesia—sponsored by Qatar Museums. Through this work, she seeks to deepen understanding of how cultural exchange strengthens international partnerships and national soft power strategies.
Alongside her research, Khemara serves at Qatar Museums in the Cultural Diplomacy Department under the Years of Culture programme, where she manages and advances cultural relations between Qatar and Asian nations. She holds a bachelor's degree in international politics from Georgetown University in Qatar and a master's degree in public policy from Hamad Bin Khalifa University.
Her academic and professional pursuits are united by a commitment to fostering cross-cultural understanding, diplomacy, and international collaboration.