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What it takes to do science diplomacy. S4D4C with a new empirical report

11. Mar. 2019

Practices, identities, needs and challenges of science diplomacy practitioners.

One of the principal objectives of the S4D4C project (coordinated by ZSI) is to increase the capacities of EU and EU Member State science diplomats and to offer relevant knowledge resources and training opportunities that support their work. This requires understanding their actual skills and related needs. Therefore, S4D4C aims to analyse practices, identities, needs and challenges of science diplomacy practitioners.

Alexander Degelsegger-Márquez (formely ZSI, now in the advisory board of S4D4C), Tim Flink and Charlotte Rungius (both from the German Centre for Science Studies and Higher Education Research, partner in S4D4C) have prepared a report which is now ready to present the project's findings in this regards.

The report "What it takes to do science diplomacy" chiefly builds on results of a baseline analysis, which was carried out by the S4D4C team. It investigates the needs of those professionals working at the interface of science and foreign policy. The report combines qualitative and quantitative data from desk research, interviews, participant observation and, most importantly, an open, anonymous online survey. The 130 answers to the survey constitute a novel source of primary data in the science diplomacy research arena. The results help to better understand the population of science diplomacy practitioners, their goals, practices, challenges and needs as well as their views on the label ‘science diplomacy’. Moreover, the analysis will inform S4D4C’s work on establishing training and knowledge resources for science diplomacy practitioners. In allowing for more targeted governance, the results are also relevant for science diplomacy-related policy-making in the EU and beyond.

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