The Geopolitics of Hospitality

Diplomacy and hospitality are similar in many ways: they bring people from various cultural and social origins together. In international politics, the ritual of meal preparation can help mitigate potentially contentious relationships. Table manners can be the source of pride and distinction. Taste is an inexhaustible topic of conversation and debate. Moreover, the art of seating, serving and addressing guests according to their importance

– far from being outdated

– is still important in today’s globalised, standardised world. Discover how hospitality reflects geopolitics This free online course will help you understand the ethnological and diplomatic implications behind the culinary arts and how to properly host guests. Developed jointly by the Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne and Grenoble Ecole de Management, the course will use diverse examples from around the world, plus the work of historians, philosophers, anthropologists and political scientists, to highlight the role of hospitality in international relations. Gain insights into cultural and intercultural issues Through the course, you will: gain a better understanding of international relations through the study of interpersonal relationships; deepen your knowledge of geopolitics and learn more about hospitality as an exercise in soft power; gain insights into cultural and intercultural issues, and how mundane tasks can affect the vision people have of the world; compare various lifestyles, and surprising cultural practices and habits; become familiar with “gastrodiplomacy” or “culinary diplomacy”

– a rising discipline in public diplomacy; and broaden your vision of the business of hospitality.