ESHS/HSS Annual Meeting

Science diplomacy and the improvement of the world order: does the promise hold true? A discussion based on examples of scientific cooperation between rival countries

• In Event: Science Diplomacy: Cooperation, Competition and Crisis 4

English Abstract

Science diplomacy owes much of its appeal to its alleged ability to transform international relations for the better. The dominant narrative has thrived on the idea that scientific cooperation between rival countries could ease political tensions, contribute to conflict prevention and to peacebuilding. However, evidence supporting these optimistic propositions is rarely produced.
Numerous historical cases show that political rivalries and tensions between countries do not prevent them from cooperating on specific scientific projects. But beyond this basic observation, several questions arise. How important is the diplomatic added value attributed to international scientific cooperation? Can cross-border exchanges between researchers influence the geopolitical order? What role can scientists play in the normalization of political relations and reconciliation? To what extent can science transcend politics?
In order to address these questions in as scientific a way as possible, reflection must be anchored on facts and evidence. The proposed communication aims to engage in this path, based on an in-depth analysis of existing literature on several case studies among which the Pugwash conferences on science and world affairs, the Soviet-American cooperation in poliomyelitis vaccine trials, the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, the scientific exchanges between the USA and Cuba, the SESAME “synchrotron for science and for peace” and the “volcano diplomacy” with North Korea. At the stage this research has reached to date, examining these different cases leads to the following provisional results: international politics influences international scientific cooperation much more than international scientific cooperation influences international politics; however, keeping channels of dialogue open between opposing countries has a diplomatic utility, and scientific cooperation is one such channel.

Author

• Pierre-Bruno Ruffini, University of Le Havre Normandy