The USC Center on Public Diplomacy (CPD) was established in 2003 as a partnership between the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences' School of International Relations at the University of Southern California. It is a research, analysis and professional education organization dedicated to furthering the study and practice of global public engagement and cultural relations.^{[citation needed]}

In 2008, USC received the Benjamin Franklin Award for Public Diplomacy from the U.S. State Department in recognition of the university's teaching, training, and research in public diplomacy.

Center leadership is provided by Jay Wang, director of the USC Center on Public Diplomacy. The center is a full member of the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs (APSIA), a group of public policy, public administration, and international studies schools.

People associated with the center

Advisory board

• Mel Levine (Chair)
• Vartan Gregorian (Honorary)
• David Huebner
• Gary E. Knell
• Markos Kounalakis
• Lindsey Kozberg
• Kimberly Marteau Emerson
• Mike Medavoy
• Ponchitta Pierce
• Barry Sanders
• Jay Snyder

Academic staff

• Nicholas J. Cull is professor of public diplomacy and director of the master's program in public diplomacy at USC.