Science Diplomacy

Summary

Science diplomacy refers to practices that lie at the intersection of science and technology (S&T) and international relations. Science diplomacy is a rapidly evolving concept that emerged in the 2000s, linking science, technology, and international relations. It is one aspect of a state’s foreign policy. An ever-increasing number of countries recognize its importance as a strategic dimension and devote resources to it. In the academic sphere, science diplomacy has become a subject of research and requires an interdisciplinary approach.

Originally, the field of science diplomacy was framed in three dimensions: science in diplomacy (scientific expertise to inform international negotiations), diplomacy for science (support of diplomatic structures to international scientific cooperation), and science for diplomacy (science as a channel for international dialogue, even in tense situations). The discourse on science diplomacy then evolved, and throughout the construction of the concept and the discourse, the emphasis was placed on national interests, cross-border challenges, and issues raised by emerging and disruptive technologies.

Science diplomacy and its practices have objectives that oscillate between the achievement of the national interests of countries and the construction of common interests in order to face global challenges (climate, health, AI). It has a dual nature, combining cooperation for addressing global challenges with competition for power, access to S&T resources, and geopolitical influence. There are two entry points to science diplomacy discussions and issues: the statist approach, which starts from the national needs and interests underlying a country’s science diplomacy, and the globalist approach, which emphasizes the global challenges that countries must face together and that science can help them overcome. Its dynamics unfold on two axes of polarity: science diplomacy confronts national interests with common interests, and it combines the logic of competition with the logic of collaboration. Its dual nature translates in its definition: at the intersection of science and diplomacy, science diplomacy is the set of practices that allow for advancing national interests and addressing global challenges.

The concept of science diplomacy has evolved overtime, and its understanding in the 2020s contrasts with the one that was originally recognized. In its original version, the focus was limited to practices that contribute to reducing tensions and conflicts between countries and to promote the common interests of peoples, capable of transforming international relations for the better. This attractive, collaborative, and inclusive vision of science diplomacy has gradually been challenged as techno-scientific and geopolitical pressures on the global stage have accentuated competition and rivalries between countries and triggered a retreat toward national interests and a rise of S&T protectionism. Additionally, science diplomacy has a role to play in building strategic autonomy—as the European framework exemplifies—and as such has become a piece to maneuver on the geopolitical chessboard. Science diplomacy is an evolving concept that balances international cooperation and geopolitical realities.