Science as a tool for international diplomacy
Last year, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) set up the Center for Science Diplomacy. In an interview with CORDIS News, the Center's director, Vaughan Turekian, talked about its work and explains why he thinks Europe offers one of the best examples of what science diplomacy can do. So, what is science diplomacy? According to Dr Turekian, in its broadest terms it is 'the use and application of science cooperation to help build bridges and enhance relationships between and amongst societies, with a particular interest in working in areas where there might not be other mechanisms for engagement at an official level.' As the Center is still in its early days, much of its work at the moment focuses on simply raising awareness within scientific communities and amongst foreign and public policy-makers of how science cooperation and engagement can build trust and relationships. At a recent conference on the potential for greater research cooperation between the US and Iran, representatives from American universities expressed a high level of interest in establishing links with their Iranian counterparts. The US and Iran share many problems. For example, in the field of natural disaster preparedness and mitigation, since both countries are prone to severe earthquakes. Other areas of common interest include water resource management and some health issues. Another part of the Center's work entails studying science diplomacy success stories from the past. 'A fantastic example of science diplomacy, and one that we try to highlight, is actually Europe!' Dr Turekian says, noting that the integration of Europe's scientific community played a key role in developing an integrated European community. 'It's not the only thing that did it, but it was very valuable in creating those links and connections between European countries, first after World War II and now after the Cold War,' he adds. The fact that science is without borders is what makes it so useful as a diplomacy tool, Dr Turekian believes. 'So a physicist in Hungary is constrained by the same laws of physics and maths as a physicist in France,' he points out. 'The political situation might be completely different, but the ability to communicate and collaborate is, in fact, universal.' Another argument in favour of science diplomacy is the borderless nature of many of the problems that science seeks to solve. 'Infectious diseases don't know borders,' says Dr Turekian. 'So the ability to share research and understanding is critical for maintaining the health of the populations on both sides of a political border.' Looking to the future, Dr Turekian tells CORDIS News that the Center is looking to put together science delegations to visit certain areas and regions, with a view to forging new links and scientific relationships. 'The other thing is to help raise the profile of the potential for science diplomacy as an important way for the official relationship between countries to move further along, especially with the US,' he adds. In addition to his role at the Center, Dr Turekian is the Chief International Officer of the AAAS. In that role, he works to promote wider cooperation between American and foreign scientists. Among other things, he works closely with representatives from the European Commission, a relationship which he believes 'demonstrates the critical and central role that transatlantic cooperation plays in addressing shared and global challenges'.
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