ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

1
Technology, Diplomacy and
International Affairs
Introduction
The decades of cold war between the United States (US) and the erstwhile
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) demonstrated beyond doubt how
science and technology (S&T) could be leveraged actively, not only for
avoiding war but also in the conduct of ‘International Relations’ (I.R.) to
maintain diplomatic balance. The game changing technology of nuclear
weapons (NW) is often credited with bringing World War II to an abrupt
end, saving continued destruction and loss of life. More recently, the
technological race between the two superpowers in which the US managed
to gain a decisive techno-military edge by 1990, is also perceived as the major
catalyst of the Soviet economic impoverishment that eventually led to the
fall of the Soviet ‘empire’ without any armed engagement or war. Few could
have anticipated that technology would finally provide a solution for ending
the cold war that could have caused mutually assured destruction.
The very concept of ‘Deterrence’ via techno-military supremacy over the
adversary is nothing but coercive diplomacy using the advantage of
technological superiority. Technology denial regimes are classic examples of
‘Science Diplomacy’ being exercised to serve the foreign policy agenda of
powerful nations. The international focus on non-proliferation of NW can
be viewed as a discriminatory technology-control measure against specific