Over the past four weeks, the CEI - Executive Secretariat has implemented a programme dedicated to Science Diplomacy. Implemented in its capacity as co-chair of the EU Science Diplomacy Alliance, the events and initiatives focused highlighted the strategic role Central, Eastern, and South-Eastern European countries could play in advancing science diplomacy as a tool for dialogue, cooperation and European integration.
On 18–19 November, the CEI Secretariat took part in the international conference Shaping the Future through Science Diplomacy: From Global Dialogue to Regional Action, organised in Ljubljana by the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation of Slovenia.
On 25 - 28 November, the CEI successfully implemented the advanced training course Challenges and Perspectives of Science Diplomacy in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe. The course brought together 28 trainees from 11 CEI Member States, who had the opportunity to engage with high-level experts from across the science diplomacy ecosystem.
The programme continued with participation in the event Science Diplomacy and Heritage, organised in Venice on 4 December organised by the University for Continuing Education Krems and the EUTOPIA university network. It concluded with CEI’s participation in the 2nd European Science Diplomacy Conference, Building Bridges in a Fragmented World, convened by the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU and the European Commission in Copenhagen on 17–18 December.
The Conference gathered more than 400 participants in person, alongside a wide online audience. Representatives from governments, international organisations, academia, non-governmental organisations, and the private sector engaged in dynamic discussions on the interaction between foreign policy and international research in today’s complex geopolitical landscape.
The CEI Secretariat contributed to the plenary session on the forthcoming European Framework for Science Diplomacy, the role of science diplomacy and regional cooperation in addressing geopolitical challenges, strengthening multilateralism, and supporting European integration.
The outcomes of the Conference and the lessons learned throughout the programme, will feed into the CEI’s upcoming activities in this field and guide its work within the EU Science Diplomacy Alliance.
For more information: lombardo@cei.int
