S4D4C - Using Science for/in Diplomacy for Adressing Societal Challenges
General Summary
Science diplomacy can be described, in its broadest sense, as all those activities that span the spheres of science, on the one hand, and diplomacy, on the other. Science advice to multilateral climate negotiations is one example, seeing international research infrastructures as a bridge for foreign relations is another. Activities and research around the topic of science diplomacy have increased since the seminal 2010 AAAS/Royal Society Report “New frontiers in science diplomacy“.
The European Union is interested in finding its own way and style of science diplomacy. This is why the EU funds three projects looking into the subject. The first, EL-CSID, ended in early 2019. As of 2018, two additional projects will support the development of an EU science diplomacy: InsSciDE, coordinated by Sorbonne University, and S4D4C, coordinated by the Centre for Social Innovation (ZSI). In S4D4C, we make use of case-based research to develop a governance framework for EU science diplomacy, training and capacity-building measures as well as online knowledge resources for science diplomats.
The task of supporting the development of EU science diplomacy is exciting for a number of reasons. For instance, the multi-level governance system of the EU, with its regional, national and supranational layers, offers both challenges and opportunities: coordinating Member State activities can be difficult, but the supranational EU layer can also offer added value (in certain topics, for certain groups of Member States, etc). Besides these governance aspects, there are developments in the EU research landscape as well as in its foreign policy institutions that can be harnessed for an effective science diplomacy: open science, public diplomacy, etc. S4D4C is set up to harness these opportunities.
STePS contribution
Content
The contribution STePS makes to S4D4C is rooted in Stefan Kuhlmann’s and Gonzalo Ordóñez-Matamoros’ earlier work on meta-governance that flowed into the Responsibility Navigator (https://www.utwente.nl/en/bms/steps/research/projects/pastprojects/resagora/). Elaborating on the experiences in that project, in S4D4C we apply meta-governance thinking to the field of science diplomacy. Based on the case work done by all project partners, we develop a governance framework which is inspired by meta-governance and that supports a constructive and productive science diplomacy architecture. Besides collaborating on two of the nine case studies in the project, viz. Open Science and water management, and developing the governance framework, we have worked together with partners to develop the conceptual background for the project. Finally, we are working on the development of a web portal that provides interested science diplomats with online knowledge sources about relevant topics.
Deliverable and task contribution
STePS staff is involved in four of the six work packages to different degrees and with different tasks:
WP2 “Conceptual framework” (3PMs): In this work package, we contributed with knowledge and expertise to furthering the thinking on science diplomacy. In addition we reviewed draft deliverables.
WP3 “European science diplomacy addressing global challenges” (3PMs): This work package represents the bulk of the empirical wok in the project. Nine case studies were executed, two of which had a direct STePS contribution. Ewert Aukes carried out interviews with relevant stakeholders in the Dutch policy arenas relating to water management and open science. This work led to one country report each, which was processed into comparative case studies by project partners. In addition, Ewert contributed to other tasks in the work package such as the aggregation of empirical data into one case study data package.
WP4 “Science diplomacy governance framework (processes and interfaces)” (10PMs): The development of a governance framework on science diplomacy is largely located in this work package. Based on previous experiences and complemented with new literature and empirical data from the case studies, the STePS team defines the building bricks for a constructive and productive science diplomacy. Versions of the governance framework’s building bricks are validated in two co-creation workshop settings organized by STePS in collaboration with project partners. The co-creation workshops will facilitate discussions with relevant stakeholders from the domains of science, diplomacy and foreign policy, both from EU member states and the European Commission. This work package contains the major deliverables STePS is working on in S4D4C, including policy briefs and the governance framework.
WP5 “Training and knowledge resources for science diplomats” (6PMs): STePS’s main task in this work package is the development of a web portal for online knowledge resources. Sanaz Honarmand Ebrahimi is the mainly dedicating her time to this task. She works together with project partners from the work package to develop a search heuristic that works. Challenges are to translate the need of science diplomats into a visually attractive and logical search mechanism.
For more information please visit the S4D4C website.
Who’s working on this project?
