The International Colloquium
Communication and Culture
in Romance Europe (CICCRE)
the XIV^th edition, June 12-13, 2026,
West University of Timișoara

Cultural Diplomacy in the Romance Space –
Synchronic and Diachronic Perspectives

Call for papers

From the Roman imperium – founded on the circulation of language, law and cultural symbols – to contemporary soft power strategies (Joseph S. Nye), cultural diplomacy represents one of the most sustainable forms of exercising collaboration and influence in relations between communities and states. In a world marked by geopolitical tensions, identity fragility, reconfigurations of symbolic power, the rereading of the Romance tradition from the perspective of cultural diplomacy becomes a necessary academic exercise. As Cicero already observed, culture is the foundation of civic stability and political prestige (De re publica), and Virgil formulated in a symbolic vision the mission of Rome as that of "governing through arts and laws" (Aeneid). Such founding principles of Romanity constituted, over time, a model of cultural diffusion that is found today, in reconfigured forms, in the cultural diplomacy of the states in the Romance space.

In the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Era, the transmission of the Latin heritage through universities, religious orders, princely chancelleries and printing functioned as a genuine instrument of cultural diplomacy, a phenomenon analysed in the works of Jacques Le Goff, Ernst Robert Curtius or Peter Burke, who demonstrated the decisive role of intellectual elites in the construction of a Europe of culture. Later, the Enlightenment and the networks of the Republic of Letters, from Voltaire to Giambattista Vico, transformed cultural exchange into a subtle form of political and ideological negotiation.

In the modern era, with the affirmation of nation-states, cultural diplomacy receives institutionalization, through academies, cultural institutes, public policies. The Romance space becomes a privileged laboratory of these processes: Francophonie, Hispanophony, Italophonie, Lusophonie, Romanianophony function as areas of symbolic influence, in which language, literature, arts, education are used as instruments of prestige and cooperation. In the 20th century, Antonio Gramsci's reflections on cultural hegemony, the studies of Raymond Aron or Pierre Bourdieu, e.g., provide essential theoretical frameworks for understanding the relationship between culture and power. Both theorist and practitioner of cultural diplomacy, Alain Lombard analyses the societal benefits of cultural diplomacy; this is happening in the context in which the concept has been developing in France since the mid-19th century, and a ministry dedicated to Culture was established for the first time in this country. In the Romance space, cultural institutes (L’Institut Français, Instituto Cervantes, Instituto Camões, Istituto Italiano di Cultura, Institutul Cultural Român) have become key actors of this symbolic diplomacy, promoting language, heritage, artistic creation and intercultural dialogue.

Based on this broad theoretical and historical background, the 14th Edition of the International Colloquium "Communication and Culture in European Romania" aims to approach, through the theme Cultural Diplomacy in the Romance Space – Synchronous and Diachronic Perspectives, the phenomenon in its complexity, in a double dimension: synchronic, through the analysis of the current mechanisms of cultural diplomacy, and diachronic, through the investigation of its evolution from ancient Romanism to contemporary globalization. The approach is, par excellence, inter- and transdisciplinary, bringing together, in accordance with the profile of the event, perspectives from philology, history, arts, anthropology, cultural studies. Contributions are encouraged through which researchers, university teachers, and doctoral students analyse the role of language as a diplomatic instrument, including multilingualism, the circulation of elites and cultural models, translation as an act of symbolic mediation, the dynamics of cultural exchanges, the impact of new media and digital diplomacy in this process of cultural diplomacy. Case studies on Francophonie, Hispanophony, Italophony, Lusophony, Romanianphony and other configurations of contemporary Romanity are also welcome, as well as reflections on cultural and identity crises in the Romanesque area. The selected works will contribute to the consolidation of a research field located at the intersection of fields and disciplines, continuing, in a contemporary key, the millenary tradition of cultural dialogue that began with Ancient Rome.

Only a few key aspects have been briefly outlined here, inviting participants to analyse, clarify, and further develop them over the two days of the colloquium. All those interested in the proposed theme – academics, researchers, and PhD students – are encouraged to reflect on this complex topic and, in light of its multiple challenges, to submit papers for the sections dedicated to Romance linguistic, literary, and cultural spaces: Latin language, literature, and culture; Romanian language; Romanian and comparative literature; Romanian as a foreign language; French language and literature; Italian language, literature and culture; Portuguese language, literature and culture; Spanish language, literature and culture; Translation studies; Intercomprehension in Romance languages; Didactics of Romance languages; History and cultural studies; Music and theatre; Visual arts; Book and library studies.