VISUAL DIPLOMACY AND VERNACULAR CITIES: INTEGRATING EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT IN HERITAGE-LED NATION BRANDING IN INDONESIA

Abstract

This study explores the intersection of visual diplomacy, vernacular urbanism, educational management, and digital nation branding in Indonesia. As global public diplomacy increasingly relies on visual narratives, Indonesia's architectural heritage and historic cityscapes emerge as strategic assets for both cultural messaging and educational empowerment. This paper investigates how heritage elements such as colonial facades, traditional townscapes, and sacred architecture are visually framed and disseminated through digital platforms as part of Indonesia's effort to shape its global image. Simultaneously, it highlights how educational institutions can function as key actors in narrating, managing, and sustaining these heritage narratives through curriculum integration and civic learning. Using qualitative content analysis of social media campaigns (e.g., Wonderful Indonesia, city-level promotions), combined with interviews involving urban planners and education managers, the study reveals a growing trend of aestheticising heritage in digital diplomacy. Cities like Yogyakarta, Semarang, and Bandung are not only presented as tourism sites but as learning environments that reinforce cultural identity. However, fragmented messaging and limited integration across institutional levels remain challenges. The paper proposes a heritage-driven diplomacy framework that aligns city branding with public diplomacy and educational goals, offering a novel pathway for cultural continuity, policy coherence, and soft power consolidation in the digital era.