The promotion of scientific cooperation is an essential element of foreign policy. Research and innovation cooperation between countries can help solve common problems, address grand societal challenges and build constructive international partnerships. Many countries integrate science as an important part into their international agendas utilizing the term ‘Science Diplomacy’ to describe international cooperation in research and innovation cooperation, even in times of crisis. Although experts may use a variety of definitions for science diplomacy, the term now has become an established approach that encompasses a variety of formal and informal technical, research-based, academic or engineering exchanges.
US Science Diplomacy, coordinated by the U.S Department of State, engages a range of U.S. agencies and scientific organizations in activities with scores of partners worldwide. The European Commission coordinates EU Science Diplomacy for the EU together with EU member states. And the U.S. and EU together are engaged in an ambitious program of cooperation, even as each engages with third parties around the world.
This conference will gather major EU and US stakeholders as well as active researchers and innovators to answer, among others, the following key questions:
- How to advance
- science in diplomacy − informing foreign policy objectives with scientific advice.
- diplomacy for science − facilitating international science cooperation.
- science for diplomacy − using science cooperation to improve international relations between countries. - Where can the EU and the US learn from each other’s approaches with regard to Science Diplomacy? Where are potentials for cooperation?
- How similar / different are the motivations and approaches of different countries / regions - here in particular the EU and US - in science diplomacy? What are some of the key differences?
- How can civil society advance science diplomacy?
Join experts and practitioners from each side of the Atlantic for a discussion of these issues, the result of a two-year collaborative effort to promote US-EU cooperation in science and technology to address common societal challenges.
The conference is organized by the EU-funded BILAT USA 2.0 project (FP7) to enhance EU-US Research and Innovation Partnerships and cooperation. The project is coordinated by DLR, Germany and 12 additional partners. Key partners in organizing the present conference are CTR, FFG, DLR and inno TSD.
