Abstract:
This study attempted to examine public diplomacy of Romania to
foster good perception of Romania towards Indonesian students
through Romanian Government Scholarship program by Ministry of
Foreign Affairs. This research focuses on the dynamics of the
Romanian Government Scholarship from 2021 to 2024, which aims to
foster two-way communication, promote mutual understanding,
provide personal and unique experiences to each participant, and
contribute to nation branding—challenging the existing image of
Romania as a former communist country. This program explored as a
form of public diplomacy of Romania that seeks to promote a positive
perception and to build connection with the Indonesian students. The
qualitative method is used to examined the interviews with Indonesian
awardees which confirm that their personal experiences led to a more
positive understanding of the country, contributing to a favorable
national image. This research also showed that Indonesian students as
the participants of the scholarship was engaged more with Romanian
cultures and actually could play a role in improving Romania-
Indonesia relations.
