Ban Ki-moon, 8th UN Secretary-General, to launch world’s most comprehensive global soft power research study

His Excellency Ban Ki-moon, the former Secretary-General of the United Nations will inaugurate the Global Soft Power Summit organised by Brand Finance, the world’s leading independent brand valuation consultancy. The two-day conference will be held at London’s Queen Elizabeth II Centre and the University of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government on 25-26 February and is set to welcome over 600 delegates representing more than 100 countries. The summit will be attended by government officials, nation branding experts, academics, diplomats, and international media.

Speakers representing the various pillars of soft power will include Sir Ciáran Devane, Chief Executive of the British Council; Lord Sebastian Coe, President of World Athletics; Dr Yu Jie of Chatham House China Programme; Dr Maleeha Lodhi, Pakistan’s former permanent representative to the United Nations; Paul Brummell, Head of Soft Power at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office; Amish Tripathi, Director of the Nehru Centre; and Omar Salha from SOAS Centre of International Security and Diplomacy.

The world’s most comprehensive research study on perceptions of soft power
The Global Soft Power Summit serves as the unveiling of the Global Soft Power Index, the world’s most comprehensive research study on perceptions of soft power, surveying opinions of over 55,000 people across more than 100 countries. Respondents representing both the general public and specialist audiences were interviewed online and by telephone during Autumn 2019 about the influence that nations around the world exert upon each other.

Top 60 nations were scored across three key metrics: Familiarity, Reputation, and Influence, as well as the seven soft power pillars: Business & Trade, Governance, International Relations, Culture & Heritage, Media & Communications, Education & Science, People & Values.

David Haigh, Chairman and CEO of Brand Finance, will say:

“We are delighted to be joined by our guest of honour the 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations – His Excellency Ban Ki-moon – to announce our inaugural ranking of the world’s top soft power nations.

The Global Soft Power Index is the result of a ground-breaking fieldwork research, the most inclusive of its kind, with over 55,000 respondents in 100 countries. It allows us to see in aggregate how the world views the top soft power nations, but it also enables – thanks to the scale of the sample – a more granular snapshot of nation-to-nation attitudes. These findings are vital for governments seeking to better manage their nation brands and improve their soft power influence in specific countries and on specific metrics.”