KDMI is an interactive mapping tool that visualises infrastructures and partnerships related to the Knowledge Diplomacy Project as well as disciplines and sectors that are more likely to engage in activities related to Knowledge Diplomacy. The Initiative builds on years of research, events, partnerships, and infrastructures. It provides a space for the Knowledge Diplomacy Project to further reflect on the diverse forms that Knowledge Diplomacy can take and to think more actively about cross-sectoral, cross-disciplinary, and cross-border collaborations.

By drawing on MAHP’s extensive database, the KDMI helps to make visible the international networks that underpin this work, offering a tool through which we can begin to ask: to what extent might these infrastructures be practicing Knowledge Diplomacy, and what does it mean to do so in practice? Through View 2, users are invited to explore and test such assumptions, to identify potential collaborators, and to see how infrastructures and their connections interact within a broader landscape of Knowledge Diplomacy.

The initiative is designed for researchers, policymakers, cultural organisations, funders, and anyone interested in international collaboration, diplomacy, and cross-sector partnerships. It also speaks to those working in areas that embody Knowledge Diplomacy, even if they might not define it as such — including impact and engagement, knowledge exchange, translating research into practice (and vice versa), connecting policy and research, and fostering international collaboration across disciplines and sectors.

To make hidden work in Knowledge Diplomacy visible, foster a shared vocabulary, and enable discovery of new collaborations and funding opportunities.

Use the geographic filters in View 1 for international partnerships or View 2 for UK-based infrastructures. Both views allow navigation by organisation type.

As well as using the search bar and filters, you can simply scroll and zoom to explore infrastructures across the UK. Zoom in to focus on a particular university, city, or region, and click on markers to learn more about the infrastructures located there. Some infrastructures are not tied to physical places. This means that they may not show up on the map, but they’re still visible and accounted for in the visualisations and relationship graph.

Enter the infrastructure name or apply tags in the search bar. You can stack up to three tags and use AND/OR logic for precise results.

You can also use the search bar at the top to look up infrastructures by name – just start typing and suggestions will appear!

Filters allow you to narrow results by tags (e.g., “Diplomacy,” “Education”), organisation type (e.g., university, learned society), and funding-only toggle.

Tags help you zero in on topic-specific infrastructures.

• Most Used Tags: Dominant themes in the dataset.
• Top Funding Sources: Common funders across filtered results.
• Tag Relationship Network: How themes co-occur.
• Infrastructure Relationship Graph: Connections between infrastructures.
• Most/Least Associated Tags: Highlights intersections and gaps

The bar chart shows the tags that most frequently co-occur with knowledge diplomacy. The word clouds highlight prominent themes sourced from the “tags” field of the Mapping the Arts and Humanities dataset, with one cloud showing common associations and another spotlighting less frequent ones (i.e. potential gaps or openings for new interdisciplinary work.) The tag network graph visualises how different themes relate to one another by mapping co-occurrences. The infrastructure relationship graph shows how infrastructures themselves are linked (through collaborations and institutional ties) and can be explored interactively to trace both individual connections and the broader research network.

View 1 offers a static international snapshot; View 2 is dynamic and UK-focused, updating daily from the Mapping the Arts and Humanities database.

It shows under-connected areas, prompting exploration of potential growth zones for research and collaboration.

Tags are keywords that describe an infrastructure’s focus (e.g., “Policy,” “International Relations”). They help you filter and identify thematic clusters. They are often assigned by infrastructure leads. 

There are two easy ways to contribute if you’d like to add an infrastructure to the dataset: 

• • You can create an account to submit your infrastructure details through our platform; ideal if you’d like ongoing access and the ability to update entries. Get started here. 

• • Or, if you prefer something quicker, you can simply fill out this short online form – no sign-up required. Submit via the form. (Please note: entries submitted this way may take a little longer to appear, as they need to be reviewed and input manually by a member of the Mapping team.) 

If you’d like to edit information but you don’t have access to an already existing entry, please reach out to [email protected] and a member of the Mapping team would be delighted to help you claim ownership of the listing.  

Let us know! You can contact us at [email protected]. Your input is essential in helping us keep the dataset accurate and up to date. Every correction or suggestion makes the map better for everyone. 

Yes! We welcome proposals for co-mapping initiatives and case studies to expand coverage, especially internationally.

The “Knowledge Diplomacy Mapping Initiative” draws directly from the Mapping the Arts and Humanities dataset, which is maintained by the School of Advanced Study, University of London. This includes self-submitted entries, updates from infrastructure representatives, and publicly available information recorded by the Mapping team.

Additional sources include the Knowledge Diplomacy Project data (2019–2025) and data from our collaboration with the Institute of Commonwealth Studies.

View 2 refreshes every 24 hours; View 1 is updated periodically.

The Mapping team also checks in with infrastructure representatives bi-annually to ensure that infrastructure entries remain up to date. 

It may not yet be tagged or submitted. We rely on self-reporting and curated datasets.

You’re very welcome to submit or suggest an addition. The Map is meant as a conversation starter: a way to reflect on how infrastructures position themselves, how Knowledge Diplomacy infrastructures are described in practice, and what might need to be surfaced differently. 

If there’s an infrastructure you expected to see, let us know. We’d love to think with you about why it might not be appearing and how to best include it.  

Tags reflect self-description. KDMI aims to capture intersections across disciplines, so some entries may lean toward adjacent fields.

Knowledge Diplomacy is the use of higher education, research, and innovation to build and strengthen relationships between countries and societies. It recognises that universities, research institutes, cultural organisations, and individuals play a diplomatic role by fostering international collaboration, mutual understanding, and the exchange of ideas. These practices and infrastructures enable trust-building and knowledge exchange across borders and sectors.

Absolutely! The code can be adjusted and reused to map other interdisciplinary fields. If you have an idea you’d like to explore, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected]. We’d be more than happy to chat, advise, or see how we might support your project.