Cade Russell

MA in International Relations & Cultural Diplomacy

From the USA

Being born and raised in central Iowa in the United States, there was not much of chance for me to experience other cultures from around the world while at home. When I was younger, I developed a fascination for foreign languages, which then in return made me desire to travel the world. Luckily, my parents, who are quite the world travelers themselves, took me to Europe and many other places around the United States at a young age. Later I attended Iowa State University for my undergrad and decided to study the German language.

I joined the Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity and got involved with different organizations on campus, which exposed me to the idea of studying abroad. I had the great opportunity to study abroad in Germany and attend the Goethe Institute for one summer. The people I met while studying in Germany made me realize how diverse the world really was. From this experience, I decided to take Arabic classes to broaden my language skills and to get to know the culture of the Arab world, which I was very interested in and knew very little about.

After meeting many influential people during my undergrad studies, I knew that I wanted to get involved with diplomacy. After finding out about Cultural Diplomacy, I knew right away that it was something I wanted to get involved with. I am very interested in Cultural Diplomacy and how it can be effective in conflict areas and areas where it is thought to be not possible.