Can science diplomacy help safeguard science as a global public good? Reflections on strategy, data and people

Abstract

In a world where geopolitical tensions strongly impinge on international scientific collaboration and where some scientific information has significant commercial value, the notion of science and practice of it as a global public good are under pressure and so are the ways to pursue it. Science diplomacy acknowledges that science impacts diplomacy and diplomacy impacts science, and that both cooperation and competition shape the diverse practices of science diplomacy: from science fostering international relations and serving global public goods to foreign and security policy interests conflicting with the notion of science as an open collaborative enterprise. Three challenges and opportunities for safeguarding science as a global public good by science diplomacy seem especially worth considering. They relate to strategy, data and people. Strategy: some key issues and ‘balancing’ need to be addressed. How can research security be tackled and academic freedom be preserved? Are scientific sanctions a good response to conflicts? Is technological sovereignty compatible with or a threat to the notion of science (closely interlinked with technology) as a global public good? Data: scientists have been developing and relying on large datasets to address the causes and impacts of climate change, pandemics, etc. These are at risk owing to both government deletion policies and private companies’ appropriation processes. How can science as a global public good tackle this challenge? People: science is done by people (even in an increasingly ‘AI world’). Researchers—and teachers, students, universities and scientific institutions—have been increasingly affected by violent conflicts. Academic freedom is being restricted in many countries. What are the implications for science as a global public good? This article primarily refers to the European Union (EU) context, while it situates the EU in the broader international sphere. The approach is both analytical and normative with the aim of contributing to both academic and policy debates.