📄 social_science

What Makes a Country Cool? Conditions for Transferring Brand Coolness to the National Referent

This study bridges the gap between brand coolness and nation branding by establishing a framework that identifies three specific conditions for transferring the construct to national referents, revealing that while some coolness characteristics apply directly to countries, others require respecification or exclusion, and notably that visible state sponsorship actually diminishes perceived coolness.

Numa Parment, Renzhong Peng2026-08-31
📄 social_science

One Theme, Many Archives: Professional Autonomy and Collaborative Interpretation in the International Archives Week Challenge SEVEN

This article analyzes the 2026 International Archives Week Challenge "SEVEN" as a successful model of international cooperation that balances a shared conceptual framework with professional autonomy, demonstrating how a single numerical theme can generate diverse archival narratives across 26 EU institutions without requiring institutional homogenization.

Borut Batagelj2026-08-31
📄 social_science

Educational Diplomacy as a Soft Power Tool for Inter-State Trust Building: Evidence from Kenya–United States Exchange Programmes

This article argues that educational diplomacy, through mechanisms like the Fulbright Program and YALI, serves as a strategic soft-power tool that builds durable inter-state trust between Kenya and the United States by fostering reciprocal relationships, intercultural understanding, and long-term transnational networks rather than merely projecting a one-way national image.

TIMOTHY KITUI WANYONYI2026-08-31
📄 social_science

Where Quantum Explanations Break: Explanatory Transitions in a Mixed-Background Quantum-Technology Mentoring program

This qualitative case study of the QUARKS mentoring program identifies that learners in mixed-background quantum-technology education primarily struggle with transitions between different explanatory levels—such as moving from concepts to formalism or hardware to applications—and proposes a framework of six design principles to support these critical shifts.

Sakineh Ghaderi, Vivian Hoffmann, Lisa M. Küssel, Riccardo Bassoli, Holger Boche, Frank H. P. Fitzek2026-08-31
📄 social_science

Delegitimising a legend: Unipolar delegitimation and polarisation dynamics in Weibo fan discourse during the 2026 FIFA World Cup

This study analyzes Weibo discourse during the 2026 FIFA World Cup to reveal how opponents of Lionel Messi employ a strategy of "unipolar delegitimation"—characterized by a concentrated focus on a single judgment subcategory and heavy reliance on indirect expression—to drive discursive polarisation, contrasting with the balanced evaluative patterns of supporters.

Qingyu GAO, Ziqi FENG2026-08-31