FECYT participates in the european project S4D4C 'Using science for/in diplomacy for addressing global challenges'

The kick off meeting of the European project “S4D4C: Using science for/in diplomacy for addressing global challenges” took place in Viena on the 1st and 2nd of February of 2018.

The project, funded by Horizon2020, aims at supporting current and future EU science diplomacy for the benefit of the Union’s strategic capacities, foreign policy goals and the development of solutions for societal challenges.

The consortium, led by the Centre for Social Innovation (Austria) brings together scholars of foreign and science policy, advisors, science diplomacy professionals and diplomatic training institutions. The project will select case studies for identifying experiences and lessons. Each case study will be analyzed applying one of this three lenses: i) a foreign policy lens starting from diplomacy challenges, ii) a science-driven lens, looking at opportunities for science diplomacy coming out of European science or, iii) an instrument-focused lens, considering options for science diplomacy coming out of EU-level coordination on infrastructures and instruments like ERC or EURAXESS. Also, S4D4C will craft a governance framework for science diplomacy employing a co-creation approach with stakeholders. Furthermore, it will develop training modules for current and future science diplomats.

At the end of S4D4C, the EU will have strengthened science diplomacy capacities, which will contribute to better develop its foreign policy goals and commitments.

FECYT will be involved in multiple aspects of the project, with a special responsibility in creating training materials for science diplomacy stakeholders and in facilitating exchange interfaces between diplomats, policy makers, researchers and other stakeholders with a say in European Union science diplomacy.