Science diplomacy in an era of disruption
In 2010, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the Royal Society published New frontiers in science diplomacy, which contributed to the rapid spread of the concept throughout the international scientific community. High-profile conferences and training programs now centre around the concept, international scientific leaders and high-level diplomats use the term regularly, and many countries have adopted strategies for national science diplomacy.
Despite its continued utility, in recent years this conceptual framework has felt increasingly tied to the era in which it was written. Fifteen years after the publication of New Frontiers, scientific progress is outpacing government regulation, power is more widely dispersed with leading scientific nations across the globe, the traditional idea of a diplomat is evolving with supranational companies practicing their own forms of statecraft, the balance between openness and security is more precarious, and conflict around the globe has called the role of science diplomacy into question. All in all, we live in a new, more disruptive era that more than ever calls for actors to understand how they can use science diplomacy as a tool.
That is why AAAS and the Royal Society have come together to publish Science diplomacy in an era of disruption (PDF), which seeks to update the framework for science diplomacy so that we can hope to meet these new challenges, and adapt to those yet to come.
The new framework:
- Emphasises that science diplomacy is a tool used to achieve a nation or organization’s diplomatic objectives, which can be perceived as positive or negative
- Delves into the broader landscape of key players, including how industry is using science diplomacy to further their business interests
- Highlights the need for awareness of national security risks in scientific collaborations and clarity regarding the roles and objectives of scientists and diplomats
- Shifts from a theoretical to a more practical framework with two dimensions: how science impacts diplomacy and vice versa
The report draws on over a year of evidence gathering, including a range of high-level dialogues, international scientific meetings, and a joint special issue of the publication Science & Diplomacy (see below). We would like to thank all those who participated, and hope that this new report proves useful to all those interested and working in the world of science diplomacy.