The Science Diplomacy Education Network (SciDipEd) is the platform bringing together educators and students at universities in the United States and around the world interested in formal and informal science diplomacy education.
SciDipEd aims to advance the intellectual and practical foundations of educating about science diplomacy and support its expansion in formal and informal education settings.
SciDipEd intends to serve as a hub of support, providing guidance to institutional and individual partners and stimulating the exchange of resources and ideas, including:
- Providing an online ”one-stop shop” of science diplomacy programs, student groups, and educational and training materials available at universities and other tertiary-level educational institutions around the world;
- Sharing model practices among institutional and individual members through regular gatherings and networking events;
- Developing and aggregating educational materials, case studies, briefings, simulation exercises and multimedia resources for use in the community.
The network is primarily comprised of representatives of higher education institutions (including faculty, administrators, and students) currently offering science diplomacy courses or training, looking for guidance to establish them, or interested in growing the quantity and quality of science diplomacy educational programs at their universities and research institutions. Additionally, student-led clubs and courses focused on science diplomacy are proliferating in the U.S. and abroad, and SciDipEd will help these groups cultivate and network to share ideas, best practices and resource materials.
Science Diplomacy university programs
Universities are increasingly providing students with educational experiences in broad or specific issues in science diplomacy in the classroom through degree programs and certificates, or in the form of extra-curricular initiatives such as dedicated symposiums, career development seminars, or simulated experience. (Please email diplomacy@aaas.org to be included in the list)
Georgetown University Science and Technology in International Affairs (STIA) (US)
Harvard Kennedy School Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs (US)
MIT Science Impact Collaborative (US)
Hurford Science Diplomacy Initiative (US)
University of Otago Course in Science, Technology, and International Diplomacy (NZ)
The George Washington University Global Health Diplomacy (US)
Water Diplomacy at Tufts University (US)
University College London Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy (UK)
Monash University Bachelor of Science in Global Challenges (AUS)
Model Arctic Council (International)
Science Diplomacy student-led clubs and groups
Student-led clubs and courses are providing science diplomacy exposure, resources and tools to the student community in the United States and Canada. Through career development workshops, conferences, speaker series, group projects, and site visits, these groups are addressing the absence of global policy training and career development in science diplomacy in formal university education. (Please email diplomacy@aaas.org to be included in the list).
Science and Education Policy Association (US)
Fletcher Science Diplomacy Club at Tufts University (US)
Penn Science Diplomacy Group (US)
NYU Science Diplomacy Club (US)
Science & Policy Exchange | Dialogue Sciences & Politiques (Canada)
Science Policy Initiative at UVA (US)
Resources
Science diplomacy courses or workshops around the world have utilized a variety of educational tools and resources from case studies to role-playing.
Science Diplomacy Jigsaw Exercise on the Novichok attacks: This exercise is based on the diplomatic crisis following the Novichok poisonings in the UK in 2018. The role-play exercise will help participants appreciate the role of scientists in bringing parties together in situations of diplomatic tensions and encourage discussion about the importance of evidence in international disputes. Developed by Alastair Hay, Professor (Emeritus) of Environmental Toxicology at the University of Leeds for the AAAS-TWAS Science Diplomacy Course 2018. Download the instructions and the exercise.
Science Diplomacy Online Course: As part of SciDipEd, the Center for Science Diplomacy launched the first ever online course fully dedicated to science diplomacy in August 2017, now incorporated into the syllabus of several science diplomacy courses worldwide.
Science & Diplomacy packages of articles and discussion questions:
- National Approaches to Science Diplomacy (US, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, South Africa)
- International Research and Large-Scale Infrastructures (ITER, CERN, ICTP, SESAME, ISS)
- Transboundary Issues and Shared Spaces (oceans, water, air, space)
The Mercury Game: A negotiation simulation developed at MIT designed to teach about the role of science in international environmental policymaking.
Indopotamia: A simulation used in the Tufts Water Diplomacy program to teach about negotiating boundary-crossing water conflicts.
World Climate: Climate Change Negotiations Game: A role playing exercise of the UN climate change negotiations using an interactive computer model to rapidly analyze the results of the mock-negotiations. The game is useful to build climate change awareness, enable participants to experience some of the dynamics that emerge in the UN climate negotiations, and see how their proposed policies impact the global climate system in real-time. All the materials and tools for World Climate are available for free and many are available in multiple languages.
Catalogue of science-intensive role-play negotiations from the Program on Negotiation at Harvard University.
The Council of Foreign Relations Model Diplomacy case library offers hypothetical scenarios based on real-world situations highlighting a range of foreign policy issues faced by the United States and invite students to consider options to address those issues.
MIT Policy Hackathon: Data to Decisions is a 48-hour hackathon convened by MIT’s Institute for Data, Systems, and Society that aims to address some of today’s most relevant societal challenges while fostering an interdisciplinary spirit. Participants from a wide range of backgrounds – from public policy to data science to engineering- work in teams to propose creative policy solutions using a combination of robust data analytics and domain knowledge.
SciDipEd events
Science Diplomacy Education Network at the AAAS Annual Meeting 2017
The SciDipEd network was initially presented on February 19, 2017, at a special session of the AAAS Annual Meeting in Boston, highlighting both established and emerging institutional and student-driven approaches to science diplomacy education at undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels in the United States and around the world.
Building a Science Diplomacy Education Community at the Science Diplomacy Conference 2017
The network was formally launched at the Science Diplomacy Conference 2017 at AAAS Headquarters in Washington D.C. The session featured graduate students of diverse backgrounds creating opportunities in science diplomacy for students in the United States and beyond. The session discussed the multitude of paths towards a career in science diplomacy, the various educational opportunities that are emerging in the field, and the critical role of universities and scientific organizations in advancing science diplomacy education and training. Panelists also presented the opportunities and challenges of developing science diplomacy curricula and the importance of incorporating experiential learning into science diplomacy training. Read the session report here.
Science Diplomacy Education Breakfast at AAAS Annual Meeting 2018
On the margins of the AAAS Annual Meeting in Austin, TX, the Science Diplomacy Education Breakfast will bring together students, faculty and practitioners of science diplomacy education and training to present institutional and student-driven approaches to science diplomacy education, share experiences and best practices with key stakeholders and communities of research and practice, introduce resources, case studies and other materials and provide an overview of upcoming education and training opportunities in science diplomacy.
We are continually looking for partnerships to support the development of new case studies, simulations and other educational materials. Please contact diplomacy@aaas.org if you are using any additional resources not listed above or if you are interested in working with us!