CEI’s ongoing work in the field of science diplomacy, aligned with the policy orientations outlined under point 2.10 of its Plan of Action 2024-2026, was presented at the international conference “Bridging Minds, Building Futures”, organised by the Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA) in Warsaw and online on 26-27 September 2025.
A dedicated session explored the state and prospects of science diplomacy in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), a topic the CEI has been actively addressing in recent years. Indeed, the CEI has been advocating for a stronger involvement of CEE stakeholders in both European and global science diplomacy debates. This commitment has included support for research – such as the report “Connecting science and diplomacy in Central, Eastern and Southeastern European countries”, elaborated by the Department of Political and Social Sciences of the University of Trieste – as well as networking initiatives like the “1st Conference on Science Diplomacy in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe”. Notably, this priority is also reflected in the Work Programme of the European Science Diplomacy Alliance, which will be co-chaired by the CEI in 2025-2026.
The CEI will continue to promote regional initiatives, projects and activities that build capacity and strengthen a community of knowledge and practice in science diplomacy across CEE. A key action will be the upcoming Advanced training course “Challenges and perspectives of science diplomacy in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe”, taking place in Trieste and Gorizia (Italy) on 25-28 November 2025. The course will bring together more than 60 experts, practitioners and science diplomacy enthusiasts from across the CEI region and beyond.
For more information: lombardo@cei.int