University of Birmingham experts join European Science Diplomacy Alliance to forge stronger links between science and diplomacy.
Accelerating technological change, geopolitical fragmentation, climate pressures, and contested norms are reshaping how states, institutions, and societies interact.
The international system is undergoing profound transformation, propelling science diplomacy from the margins of policy discourse to its very heart. In this shift, science diplomacy has emerged as a critical instrument for cooperation, trust-building, and global problem-solving.
Against this backdrop, the University of Birmingham’s Centre for Artificial Intelligence in Government (CAIG) has joined the European Science Diplomacy Alliance (ESDA) aligning its work with a growing European effort to strengthen interaction between scientific expertise and diplomatic practice.
The timing of this announcement coincided with the 2nd European Science Diplomacy Conference meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark. This prestigious conference brought together academic institutions, policy actors, and practitioners when the demand for credible, transnational knowledge exchange has rarely been higher.
Science diplomacy functions as a bridge between different knowledge-driven communities—scientists, engineers, policymakers, diplomats, and civil society actors—whose collaboration is essential but often fragmented. Without deliberate mechanisms to connect these worlds, technological innovation risks outpacing political understanding and institutional capacity.
Science diplomacy is no longer confined to traditional domains such as environmental cooperation or nuclear non-proliferation.
Today, it is increasingly shaped by disruptive and transformative technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), data-driven governance, biotechnology, and advanced digital infrastructures.
These technologies do not just introduce new tools; they reorder power relations, challenge regulatory frameworks, and raise fundamental questions about sovereignty, ethics, and global responsibility.
In this context, science diplomacy functions as a bridge between different knowledge-driven communities—scientists, engineers, policymakers, diplomats, and civil society actors—whose collaboration is essential but often fragmented. Without deliberate mechanisms to connect these worlds, technological innovation risks outpacing political understanding and institutional capacity.
CAIG’s work sits squarely at this intersection. By focusing on how AI and emerging technologies transform public administration, governance, and international affairs, the Centre contributes to debates that are both technically complex and politically consequential. Membership in ESDA reflects a recognition that these debates cannot be addressed within national or disciplinary silos alone.
ESDA represents an evolving platform for strengthening Europe’s collective capacity to engage with science as a diplomatic asset. At it's second member meeting in Copenhagen, the organisation underscored a shared ambition: to move beyond rhetoric and towards practical collaboration that informs policy, supports multilateralism, and reinforces evidence-based decision-making.
At a time when global trust is under strain, science diplomacy offers a comparatively resilient channel for dialogue. Scientific cooperation can endure even when political relations are tense, providing a basis for communication grounded in shared methods, transparency, and mutual interest. For Europe, investing in this capacity is not only about competitiveness or innovation, but about safeguarding open societies and rules-based cooperation in an era of strategic rivalry.
CAIG’s engagement with the Alliance therefore speaks to a broader institutional commitment: to contribute research, expertise, and critical reflection to European and global discussions on how science and technology intersect with foreign policy and governance.
Universities themselves are increasingly recognised as diplomatic actors. Through international partnerships, research networks, and policy engagement, they help shape transnational conversations and norms. CAIG’s participation in ESDA reinforces this role, positioning the University of Birmingham as an active contributor to debates that connect knowledge, power, and global governance.
As technological disruption accelerates and geopolitical fault lines deepen, the need for institutions capable of translating scientific insight into diplomatic understanding will only grow. Science diplomacy is not a panacea, but it is an indispensable part of the toolkit for navigating a turbulent world.
Dr Martin Wählisch - Associate Professor of Transformative Technologies, Innovation and Global Affairs
Associate Professor of Transformative Technologies, Innovation and Global Affairs
Dr. Martin Wählisch's work explores how emerging technologies and futures thinking can advance international relations, enhance peace processes, and drive sustainable development.
