At a Brookings Institution forum last week, many participants argued that international volunteering is an integral component of “smart power,” as well as a cost-effective way to promote intercultural understanding. [Full transcript and audio available here.]

The event presented the results of research conducted by the Office of Strategic Information, Research, and Planning at The Peace Corps on the impact of international volunteering conducted in 10 countries, with surveys in five more countries in progress and another five pending. Rather than focusing on the frequency of American volunteer efforts and the amount of interaction with foreign publics, these surveys sought to examine the quality and impact of Peace Corps volunteer service on foreigners’ attitudes about the United States and American citizens.

Adam Weinberg, President and the CEO of World Learning, who moderated one of the event panels, said the impact of international volunteering in meeting global challenges has been widely known for many years. “What we too often lacked is the research that substantiates that impact,” he said, “and perhaps more importantly, the research that helps inform our work so that the programs we develop are the most effective.” Success cannot be measured merely by frequency of interaction between serving Americans and beneficiaries abroad, but by its quality and depth, he emphasized.

The research results show that American service abroad indeed promotes better understanding of Americans among foreigners. After interaction with volunteers, beneficiaries reported an increased understanding of why Americans act the way they do. Before interactions with volunteers, foreigners described Americans as “arrogant,” “self-centered,” and “not well-informed about other cultures.” After interaction with American volunteers, respondents increasingly reported a more positive attitude, saying that Americans “value family life” and “know how to have fun.”

UPDATE: Please note that an earlier version of this item incorrectly attributed the authorship of the above described research, which was conducted by the Peace Corps.