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2017<br />
High-level Conference on Science Diplomacy<br />
Opening Remarks<br />
Romano Prodi<br />
Bologna - May 9, 2017<br />
Abstract<br />
In recent years policies like economic diplomacy, cultural diplomacy, and public diplomacy<br />
have become increasingly important in international relations. One additional<br />
and emerging reality is science diplomacy, which stresses the potentially<br />
positive connection between scientific research and the conduct of foreign affairs. There<br />
are many ways to conceive the relationship between these two different activities. Traditionally,<br />
given their different orientations toward ultimate goals science and diplomacy<br />
have been described as two opposite worlds and activities. On the one hand, scientists<br />
seek objective knowledge through valid descriptive and explanatory inference, based<br />
on public procedures. On the other hand, diplomats are the political representatives of<br />
a particular state. As such, diplomats try to promote the national interest of their countries<br />
through a variety of means such as persuasion, negotiation, and, above all, compromise.<br />
The main goal of diplomacy is, indeed, the promotion of the national interest<br />
by peaceful means. It is commonplace to say that the different orientations of science<br />
and diplomacy make these activities not only separate, but hostile to each other, since<br />
the promotion of the national interest may contradict what scientific research would<br />
suggest to do. Yet, as recent examples show, science and diplomacy are also positively<br />
connected.<br />
Firstly, science can provide advice to inform and support foreign policy objectives<br />
like in the very important issue of climate change. As we shall see today, the “shuttle<br />
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