Event | Engaging America - Ambassadorial Perspectives on Public Diplomacy Series

Engaging America

Ambassadorial Perspectives on Public Diplomacy

Monday, March 30, 2026

5:30 - 6:30 pm

School of Media & Public Affairs

805 21st St NW | Washington, DC 20052

5th Floor Studio

This event is co-sponsored with GW Institute for Public Diplomacy & Global Communication and the Public Diplomacy Council of America

The event is part of a monthly series at the Institute for Public Diplomacy & Global Communication, hosting international ambassadors to discuss their country's approach to public diplomacy.

The series will explore two related themes

Savvy diplomats understand that to succeed in advancing foreign policy goals in Washington it is not enough to communicate in strictly government-to-government channels; they must act as public diplomats, engaging a range of audiences to influence perceptions. The interplay between public diplomacy actions and policy goals is frequently addressed from a U.S. government perspective, or in treating foreign governments' actions in a third country setting, but this series explores Embassies' engagement with the U.S. public.
What does it take to be an Ambassador assigned by your government to Washington, DC? What sort of personality, background, and skills are required? Once assigned, how does an Ambassador prepare for their assignment, and once here, how do they continue a process of learning about their country of assignment? Most importantly, how does an Ambassador assigned to Washington connect with America outside the beltway? If every savvy diplomat is a public diplomat, then how do Ambassadors remain connected with the broader American public?

About the Speaker

Ambassador Kulminski has over two decades of experience in conflict resolution, foreign policy, strategic planning and international development. He has served as Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration, foreign policy and strategic planning Advisor to the Prime Minister, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and worked with the UN, UNDP, World Bank, GIZ, and Humanitarian Dialogue on negotiation, mediation, and peacebuilding across Eurasia region. His work has included the Black Sea Grain Initiative and programs in conflict resolution, social cohesion and post-conflict recovery.

He holds master's degrees in Public Administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs (USA) and in International Relations and European Studies from the Central European University in Budapest. He is a Fulbright, John Smith, and Munich Security Conference fellow.

This event is on record and open to the media.

The Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES)

Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University

1957 E Street, NW / Suite 412 / Washington, DC 20052

Tel (202) 994-6340 / Fax (202) 994-5436 / Email ieresgwu@gwu.edu

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