Technology Diplomacy Research Articles

Technology diplomacy in early Communist China: the visit to the Jingjiang Flood Diversion Project in 1952.

This article focuses on the 1952 visit to the Jingjiang Flood Diversion Project, the first large-scale water infrastructure built on the Yangzi river after the founding of the People's Republic of China, by a foreign delegation from the Asia-Pacific Peace Conference. Serving as a form of technology diplomacy, this trip advanced two main purposes for the newly established country - to build up closer ties with 'foreign friends' who advocated international peace in the context of the Korean War, and to demonstrate China's own technical capabilities and achievements as part of the national campaign of 'peaceful construction' of the early 1950s. I argue that vernacular technologies, which were grounded in indigenous knowledge and practices for water control in the mid-Yangzi region, were essential in shaping China's self-reliant modernization and China's public diplomacy, which targeted individuals without scientific or technical backgrounds.

The roles of universities in virtual intellectual migration via evolving technologies and STEM

AbstractThe author postulates elucidatory central objectives and questions regarding the aforementioned paper title per integrative areas, with special foci on comprehensive doctoral research universities—that concentrate on research, teaching, and public engagement. The following queries are pondered and directed toward innovative technologies and science largely evident within the recent decades, contributing to virtual intellectual migration. (1) What historical and contemporary background conditions and discernments link the salience of this presentation? (2) What are the constructs of international technology and science diplomacy and intellectual migration? (3) What are roles of science and technology diplomacy as observed through formal and informal government and philanthropic initiatives via universities? (4) How are domestic and international universities preparing graduate students and professionals in novel technological manners that develop and engage virtual intellectual migration? (5) Through multifaceted processes, how might the blending of evolutionary technologies be altered and further incorporated within universities (and other organizations) to enhance virtual intellectual migration with an ultimate goal of promoting educational and diplomatic cooperations? This article responds to the queries and concludes by articulating the importance of virtual intellectual migration as can be observed by two foremost statesmen and diplomats—United Nations Secretary‐General Kofi Annan and American Senator J. William Fulbright. They were stalwarts of humankind.

Analysis of Dimensions and Components of Strategy in Media Based on the Meta-Synthesis Method

Today, media have influenced all aspects of life. Therefore, a deeper understanding of media strategy is essential. The aim of the present study was to analyze the dimensions and components of strategy in media based on the meta-synthesis method. In this research, using the meta-synthesis approach, an attempt was made to systematically analyze the scientific literature in this field and provide a conceptual framework for configuring the subject of science and technology diplomacy. To this end, out of 130 identified relevant sources, after undergoing the necessary steps, a total of 23 sources were reviewed and analyzed. The findings indicated that the concepts related to media strategy can be categorized into four main dimensions: the nature and essence of strategy in media, the formulation of strategy in media, the implementation and execution of strategy in media, and finally, the outcomes, evaluation, and impact assessment of strategy in media.

Taking the “UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development” as an opportunity to help build a “Community with a Shared Future between China and Pacific Island Countries”

A deep heritage of cooperation and a growing convergence of interests have driven relations between China and Pacific Island countries forward. These nations are closely linked by water, and the ocean has become an important frontier of common concern for both sides. The “United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development”(the UN Ocean Decade) and the “Building a Community with a Shared Future Between China and Pacific Island Countries” were born during the era of globalization and have a high degree of compatibility in their development visions. China should seize the opportunities brought by the UN Ocean Decade to promote science and technology diplomacy with Pacific Island countries through building science and technology innovation cooperation platforms, participating deeply in global ocean governance, and conducting civil science and technology exchanges. This will help build a closer “Community with a Shared Future between China and Pacific Island countries”.

A discussion on practices and characteristics of science and technology diplomacy in twentieth-century China

Scientists and diplomats have significant differences in professional skills, activity time and work content, but they should work together. With the deepening impact of science and technology (S&T) on socio-economic development and international relations, S&T has become a crucial component of national strategies, particularly for diplomacy. There is a need for scientific evidence and advice, meaning that mastering more knowledge and skills in S&T would be helpful in negotiations. This paper analyses the ideas of S&T diplomacy, including a review of its 40-year history in China, its definition (with detailed connotations) and its characteristics. The paper focuses on the significant role of people-to-people communication in S&T, which may inform future work. Five suggestions are given to strengthen the strategic planning of S&T diplomacy: (1) A more clarified, strategic goal of future-oriented S&T diplomacy is required; (2) It is important to build a theoretical system for China to describe S&T diplomacy; (3) The creation of a global S&T cooperation map that adapts to the new type of international relations would be valuable; (4) Fairness and justice shall be maintained, while a reform of the global S&T governance system is promoted; (5) It is a must to adhere to bottom-line thinking and strengthen risk prediction and emergency responses.

In the name of Asian solidarity: Sino–Japanese competition for technology diplomacy in Burma, 1955–1965

A decade after the 1955 Bandung Conference, China and Japan engaged in a competition for technological exports to Burma. 1 During this process, technocrats in Beijing and Tokyo mobilized non-governmental collaborators—local Chinese industrialists and Japanese businesses seeking overseas expansion—as proxies to maximize their technological output to Burma. The Burmese, on the other hand, used the competition between Beijing and Tokyo as a bargaining tool, and pressed the two regional powers to provide at Rangoon's request. The technical aid Burma received was also affected by its shifting visions for development. Factionalist struggles between 1958 and 1962 changed not only Burma's political landscape but also its leadership's mind-set regarding the economy: the nation moved away from aid-driven industrial modernization towards a self-reliant, agricultural economy based on limited foreign technologies. Consequently, the meaning of the term ‘technological aid’, though used throughout the decade, became flexible and indistinct, carrying vastly different connotations at different stages of the Burmese state-building process. In this way, Burma's experience as an aid-receiving country in Cold War Asia may speak to the flexible power dynamics between the aiding and the aided countries, and shed light on the diversified means through which states employed science and technology as diplomatic tools in Cold War competition.

Japan’s Science and Technology Diplomacy: Society 5.0 and its International Projection

Japan is the third largest economy on the planet but lacks coercive capacity due to Article 9 of its Constitution, which prevents it from having an army and declaring war. This means that it can only rely on persuasion to influence the international sphere and achieve its political objectives. One of the tools it has for this purpose is public diplomacy, which is diplomacy exercised through non-traditional means such as communication, art and culture. One branch of public diplomacy is science and technology diplomacy (S&T Diplomacy), which consists of collaboration in these areas with other nations to strengthen their international projection, as well as the dissemination of scientific knowledge and technology transfer between nations. S&T diplomacy has become a major focus for Japan of its diplomatic action since it launched the Society 5.0 project in 2016, which sought to revolutionize Japan’s economy, society and governance through technology. This S&T diplomacy has the potential to not only strengthen Japan’s external action, but also to transform its industries and research while it is transforming the infrastructures of Japan’s partner nations, like the construction of subway and high-speed rail networks in India. This article will first analyze the theoretical framework of public diplomacy and science and technology diplomacy. Next, Japan’s public diplomacy will be studied by comparing The Soft Power 30 and Global Soft Power Index. Finally, Japanese science and technology diplomacy will be analyzed by assessing the initiatives contained in the Japanese Society 5.0 project.

South Korea’s Detent with Soviet Russia: Building Diplomatic Relationship through Science and Technology Diplomacy, 1988–1998

This paper examines the highs and lows of Russian-South Korean collaboration in science and technology (S&T) during the first 10 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries (1988–1998). S&T collaboration served as a path to improve diplomacy in the absence of prior interaction and offered an opportunity for both countries to collaborate in their pursuit of technological advancement and economic growth. However, the history of this collaboration has been largely forgotten. The paper investigates the reasons for the decline of Russian-South Korean S&T collaboration and identifies potential obstacles to establishing a lasting and stable bilateral partnership in the field of science and technology.

Europe’s Space Exploration and Korea’s Space Exploration Strategy from the Perspective of Science and Technology Diplomacy

Space exploration is an area where international cooperation takes place more actively than any other space activities such as Earth observation, communication and navigation. This is because a country cannot afford a huge budget to have full infrastructure for deep space exploration, such as a heavy launch vehicle, communication and energy infrastructure, and human habitats, and has learned that it is not sustainable. Korea expressed its willingness to join humanity’s epic exploration journey by signing the Artemis Accords in 2021 and launching Danuri lunar orbiter in 2022. The beginning of space exploration means that Korea’s space activities have expanded beyond the stage of focusing only on technology development to set norms necessary to accompany other countries and cooperate diplomatically to solve exposed problems. This paper analyzed European space policy and space exploration, which are most actively participating in the Artemis Program and exerting diplomatic power in the space field, from the perspective of science and technology diplomacy. The suggestions for Korea’s space exploration strategy from the perspective of science and technology diplomacy were drawn by examining the international cooperation strategies in Europe’s space activities ranging from space policy, space strategy, and space exploration program to project units.

Cyber Technology and the European Union’s Gestaltian Approach to China

Contemporary European Union (EU) and China relations are marked by a simultaneously beneficial, conflictual and competitive partnership. This is aptly evident in the cyber technology realm. This paper contends that the European Union’s gestaltian approach towards China can be understood with the aid of three theoretical positions: (1) an institutional perspective; (2) as a values-based actor; and, (3) a realpolitik dimension. The arguments advanced in the paper, ultimately imply that the EU’s approach towards China can provide various EU domestic and global actors’ space to exploit contradictions, notably when it comes to cyber technology diplomacy. This has the attendant effect of fostering future fissures in the EU’s overall engagement with China.

Cyber technology and the European Union’s gestaltian approach to China

Contemporary European Union (EU) and China relations are marked by a simultaneously beneficial, conflictual and competitive partnership. This is aptly evident in the cyber technology realm. This paper contends that the European Union’s gestaltian approach towards China can be understood with the aid of three theoretical positions: (1) an institutional perspective; (2) as a values-based actor; and, (3) a realpolitik dimension. The arguments advanced in the paper, ultimately imply that the EU’s approach towards China can provide various EU domestic and global actors’ space to exploit contradictions, notably when it comes to cyber technology diplomacy. This has the attendant effect of fostering future fissures in the EU’s overall engagement with China.

Data-Driven Approach to Identify Research Topics for Science and Technology Diplomacy

Data-Driven Approach to Identify Research Topics for Science and Technology Diplomacy

Engineering Education in Cold War Diplomacy: India, Germany, and the Establishment of IIT Madras*.

The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT) was set up with assistance of the Federal Republic of Germany between 1956 and 1974. It became the largest, and finally, a successful techno-scientific education project undertaken by the Federal Republic outside of Germany. In this paper, I argue that the engagement of the Federal Republic at IIT Madras has to be understood primarily as a project of Cold-War science and technology diplomacy, which on the German side was aimed at preventing an Indian recognition of the German Democratic Republic as a sovereign nation. In aiding the establishment of IIT Madras, the Federal Republic came into direct competition with the Soviet Union, which supported IIT Bombay but also with the United States of America, which supported IIT Kanpur. The assistance to establish IIT Madras and its governance followed mainly political guidelines, to which educational and scientific aspects were rendered subordinate. When the project was in a crisis after the first State Treaty to establish IIT Madras expired in 1963, the political flagship project of the Federal Republic was not allowed to fail. Instead, the cooperation was reorganized and support increased.

Technological Technocracy: A Theoretical Representation of "Science and Technology Diplomacy" in the Time of the Corona Epidemic

Due to international developments, other governments are no longer considered to be the main actors in the international system, in addition to governments, other informal actors, including universities and international organizations that have a scientific basis. Including the World Health Organization (WHO) - are influential in global policy. In a sense, today we are witnessing unilateral and multilateral sanctions against countries such as Iran, and the use of international mechanisms to remove such restrictions, especially in the context of the global coronavirus epidemic, seems even more necessary. . Since in a coronavirus pandemic situation, governments act nationally but the virus knows no borders, it seems necessary to adopt a platform based on global cooperation. This research is a descriptive-analytical research and library method is used to explain the subject using different approaches. In this research, an attempt is made to address the main opportunities and challenges that "science diplomacy" provides to countries; Finally, the study of what, why and the importance of science and technology diplomacy to create and strengthen integrated health systems as well as capacity building for crisis preparedness, equitable and universal access to quality health services, is considered the most important goal of this paper.

Harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) to increase wellbeing for all: The case for a new technology diplomacy

The field of artificial intelligence (AI) is experiencing a period of intense progress due to the consolidation of several key technological enablers. AI is already deployed widely and has a high impact on work and daily life activities. The continuation of this process will likely contribute to deep economic and social changes. To realise the tremendous benefits of AI while mitigating undesirable effects will require enlightened responses by many stakeholders. Varying national institutional, economic, political, and cultural conditions will influence how AI will affect convenience, efficiency, personalisation, privacy protection, and surveillance of citizens. Many expect that the winners of the AI development race will dominate the coming decades economically and geopolitically, potentially exacerbating tensions between countries. Moreover, nations are under pressure to protect their citizens and their interests—and even their own political stability—in the face of possible malicious or biased uses of AI. On the one hand, these different stressors and emphases in AI development and deployment among nations risk a fragmentation between world regions that threatens technology evolution and collaboration. On the other hand, some level of differentiation will likely enrich the global AI ecosystem in ways that stimulate innovation and introduce competitive checks and balances through the decentralisation of AI development. International cooperation, typically orchestrated by intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations, private sector initiatives, and by academic researchers, has improved common welfare and avoided undesirable outcomes in other technology areas. Because AI will most likely have more fundamental effects on our lives than other recent technologies, stronger forms of cooperation that address broader policy and governance challenges in addition to regulatory and technological issues may be needed. At a time of great challenges among nations, international policy coordination remains a necessary instrument to tackle the ethical, cultural, economic, and political repercussions of AI. We propose to advance the emerging concept of technology diplomacy to facilitate the global alignment of AI policy and governance and create a vibrant AI innovation system. We argue that the prevention of malicious uses of AI and the enhancement of human welfare create strong common interests across jurisdictions that require sustained efforts to develop better, mutually beneficial approaches. We hope that new technology diplomacy will facilitate the dialogues necessary to help all interested parties develop a shared understanding and coordinate efforts to utilise AI for the benefit of humanity, a task whose difficulty should not be underestimated.

Diplomasi Teknologi Indonesia dan Spanyol dalam Pengembangan Pesawat Baling-Baling

This research analyzes technological diplomacy in Indonesia and Spainrelations, especially in the field of the aerospace industry technology(propeller aircraft development) that is conducted by PT DirgantaraIndonesia and Airbus Military Spain. This research will explain thedevelopment process of aerospace industry and technology since 1975.Qualitative descriptive methodologies used in this research to obtainin-depth analysis. The result of the analysis shows that there is a closerelationship beyond just the institutional relationship, that is therelationship between the two countries in this technology diplomacy.From this study it can be concluded that the technology diplomacy thathas been running and manifestly implemented for over 40 years has getto both countries having a very close and profitable relationship. Therelationships and cooperation that can be said to be familial is believed byboth parties will continue into the future.

Research on “Media Literacy”: A Retrospective Analysis from 1970 to 2019

Research on “Media Literacy”: A Retrospective Analysis from 1970 to 2019

Science and Technology Diplomacy – Some Reflections

It was during the First World War (1914–18) that science and technology (S&T) began to have a major impact on the wars in particular, and defence in general. If there was one example of a major weapon which changed the course of the War, it was mustard gas. This gas produced and used in large quantities, wrought havoc in the trenches of both the warring sides.

Exponential Innovation and Human Rights: Implications for Science and Technology Diplomacy

The international community has historically maintained hope that advances in science and technology offer humanity a wide range of options for improving its well-being. Recently anxieties arising from rapid advancement in science and technology and the emergence of new global business models have re-opened debates on the relations between exponential innovation and human rights. The search for inclusive innovation models has led to the need to rethink traditional views about concepts such as “technology transfer” that continue to underpin international negotiations, especially under the United Nations (UN). This paper explores these themes and proposes alternative ways for emerging economies to expand their human potential without undue reliance on the one-way flow of scientific and technological knowledge from the industrialized countries. It calls on strengthening international science and technology advice, especially in the UN Secretariat, to help support more constructive discussions on the interactions between innovation and human rights.

The SDGs and Science and Technology Diplomacy

The SDGs and Science and Technology Diplomacy