Soft Power Through Education: Realist Regional Dynamics in Asia

This paper examines education as a realist tool for soft power in West and East Asia, responding to Jane Knight’s call for regionalisation research. Challenging her liberal vision of knowledge diplomacy, it argues that states leverage higher education to navigate power struggles, counter external influence, and secure national interests. Historical and contemporary examples reveal education’s unpredictable outcomes, necessitating state learning from successful models. While complementing hard and economic power, education’s ideological divides, notably China’s non-liberal norms, fuel regional rivalry, risking instability. Asian states, including India, can strategically use education to enhance security and influence in a competitive global order.