In another of Microsoft’s philanthropic efforts, the company today announced a partnership with the Diplomacy Center Foundation (DCF) to build an interactive exhibit at the upcoming U.S Diplomacy Center. Microsoft will supply the Foundation with $1 million that would go into installing high-tech gear to inform visitors of the importance of American diplomacy and its role in the history of the country.
This next-generation museum will feature some of the latest Microsoft technologies in its ‘Diplomacy is Everywhere, 24/7’ exhibit. This would include taking advantage of the new Surface Hub announced during Microsoft’s recent Windows 10 event, as well as Microsoft software like Skype Translator and Bing Maps.
“The result will be a next-generation museum—where visitors can virtually play the role of diplomat. They’ll travel where diplomats travel, talk with foreign diplomatic counterparts, and make the decisions diplomats make every day around the world.” – Mark Penn, Executive VP and CSO, Microsoft
The museum will also house a “Diplomacy Wall” designed to simulate a range of scenarios that America’s diplomats have to deal with on an international scale. The interactive wall will give visitors a hands-on experience on how diplomats go about engaging in peace talks, hostage situations, and even natural disasters.
“Our new partnership with DCF is an exciting step for Microsoft’s technological and philanthropic efforts and will help Americans understand U.S. diplomacy in a new and unique way. I thank Ambassador Elizabeth Frawley Bagley, a senior advisor to Secretary of State John Kerry and a Director of the DCF, for working with us to develop this exciting partnership.”
It great to see Microsoft getting involved in efforts to advance public education on such important matters, especially when the company is already heavily involved in improving the state of education and healthcare on a global scale. The U.S Diplomacy Center will open in Washington, DC, situated near the National Mall sometime in 2017.
