Abstract
Science, technology, and innovation are taking center stage in international affairs and increasingly influencing the geopolitical dynamics and a country's standing on the global stage. New scientific and technological advancements are acquiring greater strategic relevance to ensure competitive advantages in the twenty-first century global order. At the same time, international scientific collaboration contributes to generating and democratizing knowledge and improving relations between countries as a “soft power” tool to coordinate science-based solutions to transboundary problems, and to build bridges between countries with tense diplomatic relations. Science diplomacy is not a new concept, but most of its intellectual foundations and practical applications have emerged in the Global North. This article describes the diverse approaches, policies and practices adopted by Latin American and Caribbean countries at the national, sub-national, and regional levels. It analyzes their successes and challenges and identifies opportunities to guide the region toward a common science diplomacy strategy to achieve sustainable development through incorporating science as a permanent element in the foreign policy toolkit of Latin American nations. By documenting and illuminating best practices in the region, this article also seeks to balance the emphasis that has so far been largely concentrated on the regions of Europe and North America and contribute to future efforts and strategies for the development of sustainable science diplomacy mechanisms at the national, regional, North-South and South-South levels.
Highlights
Science diplomacy is gaining relevance as an essential tool to tackle global challenges that have a scientific dimension, do not respect national borders, and no country can solve alone (Ruffini, 2017)
With the creation of the new Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation in 2020, Colombia is in the process of creating a national science diplomacy strategy, which proposes the creation of 9 nodes in strategic countries, a greater articulation between the scientific diaspora and the Colombian scientific and academic communities with international networks, and capacity building in science diplomacy, both within the government and in other entities and actors18
Born as North-South scientific collaboration networks promoted by Northern countries, Spain, and the United States, evolved into more horizontal South-South cooperation schemes and have contributed to the regional integration of Latin America, creating spaces for the incorporation of science in public policy, decisionmaking, and governance, resulting in greater regional cohesion and harmonization of science policy mechanisms (Gual Soler, 2014)
Summary
Science diplomacy is gaining relevance as an essential tool to tackle global challenges that have a scientific dimension, do not respect national borders, and no country can solve alone (Ruffini, 2017). Achieve sustainable development, provide food and clean energy to billions of people, restore biodiversity, and prevent and tackle global health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, greater coordination between the spheres of science and foreign affairs will be key (S4D4C, 2019). By aligning scientific and diplomatic agendas, nations can attract scientific talent, strengthen national research, and innovation systems and competitiveness, provide avenues for greater participation of scientists in the formulation of public policies, coordinate integrated solutions to common problems, and tend bridges between countries with tense or non-existent diplomatic relations (Quevedo, 2013; Gluckman et al, 2017)
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