AASSA Climate Change and Health Project
May 12, 2022
The COVID-19 pandemic is “a wake-up call” for science diplomats to address a range of issues in which science, technology, and the society are tightly intertwined. Timely and pressing issues informed and addressed by scientific expertise, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change, illuminate the urge for nations to collaborate across boundaries.
ASM, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) recognised the significance of Science Diplomacy in these trying times. This workshop was the first of its kind held in the East and Southeast Asian region. This was a unique opportunity for ASM to partner with AAAS and TWAS, two leading organisations that specialised in teaching science diplomacy and training young scientists.
The course trained scientists and policymakers in science policy and fostered the necessary connections powered by science diplomacy to address key issues. It encompasses scientific evidence and understanding that informs policy, diplomatic efforts that work toward scientific collaboration among nations and the international relations fostered by scientific collaboration.
The three main aspects that were stressed throughout this course were:
- Science in Diplomacy
- Diplomacy for Science
- Science for Diplomacy
The course concluded that, to effectively convince policymakers of the significance of current issues, those engaged in science diplomacy must be credible, relevant, and legitimate. The course also encouraged its participants to get involved with their own country’s academy of science, with their country’s policymakers, as well as with their fellow alumni of science diplomacy courses.