Shaping science diplomacy: Perspectives of universities of science & technology

CESAER – the strong and united voice of universities of science & technology in Europe –welcomes renewed attention to science diplomacy efforts at the European level. Various actors have diligently worked towards this goal since the 2010 report by AAAS/Royal Society. Recently, the European Commission initiated a process to draft a European framework for science diplomacy. This framework aims to coordinate these diverse efforts and propose a cohesive EU-wide approach that could yield significant benefits for science, society, and Europe.

As the definition of science diplomacy continues to evolve, there is a broad consensus that science diplomacy involves mobilising state-of-the-art scientific knowledge to inform policy-making, including foreign policy. Additionally, it involves fostering transnational scientific collaboration to collectively tackle global challenges.

Specifically, science and technology have a transformative role in such endeavours. The political priorities of the EU increasingly relate to the application of scientific knowledge in the form of technology, as demonstrated by ongoing discussions around dual-use technologies and by calls for ‘technological sovereignty’ and ‘strategic autonomy’. This reaffirms the transformative power and societal significance of universities developing and advancing key technologies, such as artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, nanotechnologies and life-science technologies. Universities of science & technology are taking action to help steer academic cooperation in times of global crises, and to safeguard their autonomy in the face of geopolitical challenges while addressing research security considerations with key recommendations elaborated in our recent white paper.

In this position, we welcome ongoing efforts towards a European framework for science diplomacy and provide recommendations in three areas to advance efforts and follow-up actions: (i) integrate knowledge and expertise for evidence-based policy, (ii) safeguard science as an independent bridge-builder, and (iii) boost international scientific cooperation.