This study investigates the seminal role of science diplomacy in contributing to the global paradigm of sustainable development. It advances a nuanced conceptual understanding of science diplomacy which markedly departs from the idealistic and prescriptive connotations which have in the past decade resulted in the conflation of science diplomacy with the concept of soft power. It is argued that the positivistic associations in attached to international science and its ability to improve geopolitical dynamics and international relations overlook the important and overlooked role that diplomacy plays in driving scientific collaboration and cooperation. This study therefore aims to illuminate a normative analytical perspective of diplomacy as a conduit for disseminating political and ideological narratives that give shape to international science initiatives in the first instance. Hence, this paper endeavors to enhance knowledge on Science Diplomacy by exploring key developments that can assist us in transforming it from what is primarily a positivistic concept into an analytically robust tool that can shed critical insight and unveil novel perspectives into complex geopolitical diplomatic histories.

Authors: Fatima Zahra Bensalah, Nabil Ayad

Published in: World Congress on Sustainable Technologies (WCST-2023)

• Date of Conference: 13-15 November 2023
• DOI: 10.20533/WCST.2023.0007
• ISBN: 978-1-913572-64-8
• Conference Location: St Anne’s College, Oxford University, UK