ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the role of study abroad through the lens of diplomacy. Analysis of international relations and diplomacy has shifted from a state-centered approach to include informal social and cultural interactions. Study abroad is typically associated with cultural diplomacy, which emphasizes the power that international experiences may have to influence in subsequent interactions with the host country. With the backdrop of the changing global social roles of higher education to promote diversity and inclusion, this chapter explores knowledge diplomacy to understand study abroad's potential contribution to transnational understanding, awareness, and connectivity. A framework is presented to understand study abroad as a component of diplomacy by taking into consideration study abroad program design and how subsequent academic, professional, and personal development is related to the host country, host region, and wider world.
