Reframing Educational Diplomacy in the AI Era: From Cultural Affinity to Organizational Diffusion

This study investigates whether cultural soft power generated through educational exchange produces measurable institutional outcomes, using alumni of the Taiwan ICDF scholarship programme as an empirical case. While prior research demonstrates that international scholarships foster cultural affinity and intercultural competence, less is known about whether these attitudinal shifts translate into behavioral and organizational change. Addressing this gap, the study proposes and tests a three-stage framework — Affinity → Integration → Influence — linking individual experience to institutional diffusion.

Drawing on survey data from over 500 alumni across countries, sectors, and cohorts, the analysis examines whether Taiwan-related knowledge application and sustained transnational networks predict behavioral integration, defined as the adoption of Taiwan-influenced practices in alumni’s home contexts. It further assesses whether integration is associated with organizational influence, particularly among alumni in leadership roles. Results highlight that affinity alone is insufficient; practice transfer and positional authority are critical conditions for converting soft power into institutional impact.

The findings contribute to education diplomacy literature by clarifying the mechanisms through which cultural attraction becomes organizational diffusion. The framework also has contemporary relevance, as AI-enabled transnational networks and digital alumni platforms may further accelerate practice transfer and influence pathways in global knowledge diplomacy.