For the longest time in history, the state leaders gather their information about the world outside their borders through the programs of cultural exchange. To this day, cultural programs are a significant tool in statecraft for promoting peace and mutual respect. Major powers around the world are devoting their resources and putting in effort for developing well-maintained programs of cultural exchange.

Cultural diplomacy in the simplest terms means the exchange of cultural information, ideas, and different aspects of cultures among nations and their public to gain mutual understanding. The cultural exchange involves visitors from foreign countries in the homeland for a short period of time, where they are given opportunities to interact with the host community, such as through programs of student exchange, cultural events, language training, etc. The motivation behind cultural exchanges is to change the perception of the host country among the foreigners, deconstruct the stereotypes, and create purposeful connections. Cultural diplomacy integrates within itself the exchange of values and overarching norms. In the modern world, many examples of cultural exchange programs can be found, especially state-sponsored such as American Bulgarian Library Exchange (ABLE), Fulbright, AISEC Business Internships, American Youth Leadership Program (AYLP), Nordic Culture Point, etc.