ERC Conference - Frontier Research and Science Diplomacy

Web Streaming:

27.10.2016: https://webcast.ec.europa.eu/frontier-research-and-science-diplomacy-27

28.10.2016: https://webcast.ec.europa.eu/frontier-research-and-science-diplomacy-28

Introduction

The Conference will take stock of relevant research supported by the European Research Council (ERC), provide a forum of dialogue for researchers and policy actors, and position the ERC as contributor to science diplomacy through its ‘bottom up’ approach where research is investigator-driven. More specifically, the Conference

aims to:

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  Explore state-of-the-art research related to science diplomacy as part of a scholarly understanding of the increasing call on science to help tackle cross-border, global issues;
• - 

  Examine the practice of doing research across disciplinary, geopolitical and cultural borders and the implications for science itself and the broader context;
• - 

  Highlight examples of curiosity-driven frontier research that contribute to the understanding as well as the practice of science diplomacy.

Background

Science diplomacy is a recently emerging term in the EU context and at the broader international level. The report, published in 2010, by the UK Royal Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), ‘New frontiers in science diplomacy - navigating the changing balance of powers’, that distinguishes ‘science in diplomacy’, ‘science for diplomacy’ and ‘diplomacy for science’, has been pivotal in fostering debate around the subject . The AAAS also launched the first journal on the topic ‘Science and Diplomacy’ in 2012 and established a Centre and a Prize.

While the increased interest in the subject is relatively new, the concept itself is not. The use of the positive ‘side effects’ of scientific collaboration goes back many decades, the interactions between the US and Soviet Union during the Cold War being a known example. A prominent instance of science diplomacy from this era was the researcher-driven Pugwash Conference on Science and World Affairs which was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize and continues to bring together scholars and public figures to help reduce the risk of armed conflict.

Other bottom-up initiatives promoted by scientists have a strong tradition in science diplomacy, while not necessarily being called so; for example, Scientists Without Borders, the Lindau Nobel laureates meetings for science beyond borders, the Malta Conferences or the Council of At-Risk Academics.

The United Nations resorted to the power of science in advancing many diplomatic negotiations on issues ranging from non-proliferation to the definition of the Sustainable Development Goals. Recently, some national research agencies also started cooperating in the field of science diplomacy. For example, the German Centers for Research and Innovation (GCRI) have been established worldwide from 2010 onwards as part of the globalization strategy of the German Federal Government, and there is also the science diplomacy initiative by the US Department of Foreign Affairs. Some governments, e.g. France and Spain, issued reports on science diplomacy as part of their foreign relations or development cooperation policies.

The renaissance of the concept may be due to the heightened awareness about challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss or protection of endangered cultural heritage that cannot possibly be addressed by one country alone or even, in most cases, a group of countries. By focusing on shared research objectives and reaching out to their international counterparts in order to access knowledge and resources, and to further their insights, scientists contribute greatly to foster communication and understanding across different contexts.

The EU Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science Carlos Moedas recognised the relevance of this concept early on: “In delivering (my) priorities, it is essential that we step up our engagement with the rest of the world by supporting science diplomacy and international cooperation”. During a 2015 mission to the SESAME (Synchrotron-Light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East) infrastructure in the Middle East, Commissioner Moedas referred to the importance of science diplomacy and subsequently highlighted the need to reinforce international engagement through science diplomacy by making it one of his three strategic priorities labelled ‘Open to the World’, in addition to ‘Open Innovation’ and ‘Open Science’.

Building on its bottom-up approach, the ERC may have a role to play as well according to the Commissioner. In the “Introduction to the Annual Report on ERC activities and achievements in 2014” , Commissioner Moedas noted that ‘The ERC brand has almost limitless potential, it epitomises the core values of science diplomacy and provides a strong basis for networking Europe among our international partners’. ERC allows top-class researchers to apply from anywhere in the world and from all fields of science to work on any topic that they deem to be cutting-edge. This openness and flexibility paired with high funding levels make it a prime partner for scientists wanting to push the frontier of knowledge.

From the diplomatic side, “The Global Strategy for the EU Foreign and Security Policy” put forward in June 2016 by High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (HR) Federica Mogherini, makes explicit reference to science diplomacy in relation to conflict settlement and enhancing resilience in the EU neighbourhood and this is testament to science diplomacy becoming more and more prominent

in the EU agenda.

Conference contribution to the debate

Many of the regional and global challenges related to security, conflicts, resource scarcity, biodiversity, climate change and others lay at the intersection of science and international relations. By providing knowledge and application to benefit human wellbeing, scientists potentially have an important role to play in feeding new ideas to diplomacy, developing new models, and raising the standard of what can be accomplished. The specific nature of ERC projects has the potential to radically transform the research frontier and contribute to science diplomacy.

The international language and methodology of science allows scientists to go (most of the time) beyond ideologies and form professional relationships that may bridge divides between countries and communities. ERC-funded research concerns ‘bottom-up’ projects initiated by individual Principal Investigators who sometimes draw on own real life experiences with challenging situations instigated, for instance, by conflict and migration. The conference will address the practice of carrying out research ‘across borders’ and ‘without boundaries’ in areas ranging from the Arctic to the Middle East or Amazonia and its relevance for science diplomacy. It will also highlight collaborative experiences around cutting research infrastructures that provide fertile ground for promoting mutual learning and understanding.

The dialogue between policy-makers and researchers will highlight whether and how ‘top down’ and a ‘bottom -up’ approaches to science diplomacy may differ or converge; for example, is science for diplomacy at odds with the principles of research independence or can independent research be relevant for, while not ‘embedded in’, foreign policy? Both the practice and outcomes of scientific research can be of great interest for diplomats. At the same time, the conduct of such research often needs the support of diplomacy to make it viable - e.g. by facilitating access to sites and fostering mobility and safety of researchers.

The conference will also shed light on the role of science funding organisations in creating opportunities for international cooperation. An example of this are the Implementing Arrangements with non-EU partner countries which aim to attract scientists supported by non-European funding agencies to come to the European Union and Associated Countries to temporarily join a research team run by an ERC grantee. The participants will provide examples of good practices that could prepare the ground for future science diplomacy.

Thursday 27 October: 09.00-18.00

Opening Session: Why science diplomacy matters

(Moderator: Pablo Amor, Director, ERCEA; Rapporteur: Ines Marin Moreno, Scientific officer, ERCEA)

09.15 Welcome address

Jean-Pierre Bourguignon, President of the European Research Council (ERC)

09.25 Opening address

Carlos Moedas, Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation

“EU Science Diplomacy: Science Open to the World”

09.40 Ted Hewitt, President Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)

"A Canadian perspective on science diplomacy and the EU-Canada Implementing Arrangement as tool of science diplomacy"

09:55 Thomas Gass, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs,

United Nations (UN)

“From the Millennium to the Sustainable Development Goals: the contribution of science to

diplomacy”

10.10 Romain Murenzi, Director of the Division of Science Policy and Capacity Building, United

Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)

“Science Diplomacy and Development”

10.25 Anne Lonsdale, Chair, Council of At-Risk Academics

“Protecting academics at risk: what can scientists themselves and diplomats do?”

10.40 Q&A

11.00 Coffee break

Frontier research as science in diplomacy: peace, democracy and security

Contributions from different disciplines to the political, legal, psychological, economic aspects of science diplomacy.

(Moderator: Angela Liberatore, Head of Social Sciences and Humanities Unit, ERCEA ; Rapporteur: Inge Ruigrok, Scientific officer, ERCEA)

11.30 Mary Kaldor, UK, ERC Advanced grantee

“Security in transition: An Interdisciplinary Investigation into the Security gap”

11.50 Eyal Benvenisti, IL, ERC Advanced grantee

“The legal framing of diplomacy in an era of global interdependence”

12.10 Matthias Thoenig, CH, ERC Starting grantee

“Evidence on Asylum Seekers, Violence and the Design of Integration Policies”

12.30 Luk Van Langenhove, BE, Societal challenges 6 grant holder ,

“The Culture of Science Diplomacy”

12.50 Q&A

13.15 Lunch break

Frontier research as science in diplomacy: fostering sustainable development

Contributions of science diplomacy in addressing resource scarcity, climate change and biodiversity

(Moderator: Anna Lönnroth, Head of Life Sciences Unit, ERCEA; Rapporteur: Remo Savoia, Scientific Officer, ERCEA)

14.15 Michael Obersteiner, AT, ERC Synergy grantee

“Phosphorous: a scarce resource between geopolitical disputes and fostering sustainability”

14.35 Eystein Jansen, NO, ERC Synergy grantee

“Climate diplomacy: Arctic Sea Ice and Greenland Ice Sheet Sensitivity”

14.55 Michel Loreau, FR, ERC Advanced grantee

“Biodiversity and ecosystem services: linking science and policy”

15.15 - Q&A

15.45 Coffee break

Frontier research as a diplomatic practice: crossing boundaries and connecting communities

Scientists as bridge builders across borders and communities reaching out to local communities, negotiating and maintaining site access and building teams across divides.

(Moderator: Alejandro Martin Hobdey, Head of the Call & Project Follow-up Coordination Unit, ERCEA; Rapporteur: Fotios Vikas, Scientific officer, ERCEA)

16.15 Victoria Reyes Garcia, ES, ERC Starting grantee

“Lessons from the field: What can the knowledge society learn from the study of local environmental knowledge?”

16.35 Graeme Barker, UK, ERC Advanced grantee

“On the practice of doing archaeology in conflict zones: investigating modern human dispersals in Libya and Iraq”

16.55 Avi Schroeder, IL, ERC Starting grantee

“Bridging divides by creating inclusive scientific teams: next-generation personalized diagnostic nanotechnologies for predicting response to cancer medicine”

17.15 Xavier Serra Casals, ES, ERC Advanced grantee

“Multicultural music modelling: A cultural translation”

17.35 Q&A

18:00 END OF DAY ONE SESSIONS

Friday 28 October: 09.00-13.00

Frontier research as a diplomatic practice:sharing knowledge through infrastructures

Contribution of research infrastructures (e.g. Synchrotron, telescopes and large databases) to science diplomacy.

(Moderator: Martin Penny, Head of Physical Sciences and Engineering Unit, ERCEA; Rapporteur: Cristina Gabellieri, Scientific Officer, ERCEA)

09.00 Sir Chris Llewellyn Smith, FRS, Director of Energy Research Oxford University,

President SESAME Council

“CERN, SESAME & Co: large-scale infrastructures as science diplomacy hubs”

09.20 Licia Verde, ES, ERC Starting grantee

“Cosmological Physics with future large-scale structure surveys”

09.40 Ewan Birney, UK, Director, European Molecular Biology Laboratory - European

Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI)

“EMBL: Scientific collaboration and large-scale infrastructures”

10.00 Gian-Paolo Dotto, CH, ERC Advanced grantee

“The International Cancer Prevention Institute (ICPI): a global forum to transform scientific

knowledge into humanitarian action”

10.20 Q&A

10.45 Coffee break

Roundtable - Science Funding and Science Diplomacy: Which role for research organisations now and in the future?

Facilitating science diplomacy at the national, international and EU levels. What is there? What are the challenges?

(Moderator: Jose Labastida, Head of Scientific and Management Department, ERCEA; Rapporteur: Frank Kuhn, Scientific Officer, ERCEA)

11.15 Cristina Russo, Director for international Cooperation, DG Research & Innovation (DG RTD)

Alfredo Conte, Head of the Strategic Planning Division, European External Action Service

(EEAS)

Theo Karapiperis, Head of Scientific Foresight (STOA) Unit, European Parliament

Zafra Lerman, President of the Malta Conferences Foundation

Margret Wintermantel, President of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)

Hamid Zoheiry, President of the Euro-Mediterranean University, President; Coordinator of

the MERID platform

Ivo Slaus, Chair of the RISE group on Open to the World

12.30 Q&A

12.45 Closing remarks by Jean-Pierre Bourguignon, President of the European Research Council

13.00 END OF THE CONFERENCE