The University

Furtwangen University (HFU) is one of Germany's leading universities recognised for its excellence in the following areas:

  • High quality and innovation in teaching
  • Strong practical focus through collaboration with industry
  • International focus
  • Applied research
  • Continuing education and lifelong learning
  • Cooperation and motivation
  • Social responsibility and safeguarding of the future

Furtwangen University's core focus is on science-based, practical education and training. Traditional boundaries between subject fields are removed in interdisciplinary projects. HFU is a leader in the specialist areas of engineering, computer science, information systems and management, engineering management, media, international business and health. The range of courses and programmes is constantly being extended to take account of innovative developments.

Our aim is to offer forward-looking degree programmes to talented young people, awarding top-quality, accredited degrees which open up exceptional career opportunities. At the same time, we support the journey our students make towards becoming responsible and competent individuals with the ability to identify and solve problems independently. Additionally, through application-oriented research and academic professional development, our university supports the next generation of academics contributing to innovation and improved skills in business and society.

Institute for Cultural Diplomacy

In the current increasingly globalized world, individuals, corporations and governments from across the globe are becoming more integrated than ever before and have the ability to exchange information faster and more efficiently. Thus, inter-cultural relations have become increasingly important in the 21st century. Cultural diplomacy has long been recognized as a prime instrument to promote international links and understanding between countries and peoples. The Institute for Cultural Diplomacy was founded with this aim in mind.

The Institute

The Institute for Cultural Diplomacy (ICD) was founded in 1999 with the particular goal of promoting global peace and stability by strengthening and supporting intercultural relations at all levels. The ICD is an international, non-profitmaking, non-governmental organization with its headquarters in the highly international and cultural capital of Germany, Berlin. The ICD believes that inter and intra-cultural relations can be strengthened, maintained and promoted through dialogue and so its focus has been to bring individuals from all walks of life together in order to begin this dialogue. This kind of dialogue thus leads to a better understanding and greater trust between cultures, preventing misunderstanding, improving communication and cooperation and helping to reduce the likelihood of socio-cultural conflicts.


The role of the ICD is to extend research, programmes and practices in the field of cultural diplomacy. The ICD aims to create an international platform for exchange in order to sustain inter-cultural dialogue at all levels, as well as supporting cultural diplomacy as an academic discipline from which we all can learn. Over the past decade, the ICD has developed into one of Europe’s largest and most influential cultural exchange organizations and hosts numerous international events, conferences and seminars with a focus on facilitating interaction and dialogue between individuals of cultural, academic and professional backgrounds across the globe. 


Since it was founded in 1999 the ICD has had major accomplishments in the field of cultural diplomacy. The ICD has been successful in encouraging academic research in the field of cultural diplomacy. The most important means to encourage further academic research in the field of cultural diplomacy has been to engage students with this topic. In 2011, the Academy for Cultural Diplomacy successfully developed the first ever MA and PhD graduate programs in the field of cultural diplomacy. These programmes have been highly popular and have helped in raising awareness of cultural diplomacy for the younger generation and beyond.

In addition, the ICD has raised awareness of cultural diplomacy and soft power through holding numerous international conferences and seminars across the globe, bringing together renowned speakers from politics, diplomacy, academia and the arts to discuss and debate themes related to cultural diplomacy. ICD conferences and seminars have also been successful in engaging politicians with the concept of cultural diplomacy by holding panel discussions, question and answer sessions, and by allowing participants to present their own papers related to cultural diplomacy. This has allowed participants and speakers to communicate and spread their own ideas related to cultural diplomacy, thus allowing a mutual understanding of the concept.