From the second half of the last century onward, the need to address global challenges has led to an increasing emphasis on science diplomacy, understood as the contribution of science to the development of international cooperation. Although this practice has very distant origins, in recent years, science diplomacy has been progressively integrated into foreign policy decision- making and the work of international organizations, becoming an indispensable tool for assessing the actions needed to address shared problems, such as the spread of pandemics and the effects of climate change.

Within this context, the course “Science Diplomacy in the 21st Century. Foundations, Actors and Dynamics for Future Practice”, promoted by the International School of Science and Diplomacy of the Ettore Majorana Foundation and Centre for Scientific Culture, explores all the relevant aspects that characterize science diplomacy, from its origins to possible future interactions between the scientific and political-diplomatic spheres. Hence, the course does not limit itself to providing a theoretical framework for the discipline, but also examines its operational fields, key actors, and applied practices, offering participants the opportunity to engage directly through practical activities in simulated settings.

The course “Science Diplomacy in the 21st Century. Foundations, Actors and Dynamics for Future Practice” is addressed both to diplomatic staff and officials of international organizations and NGOs, as well as to academics, researchers and students, with the aim, since its very first edition, of fostering dialogue among different perspectives and areas of expertise on the role of science in the development of diplomatic relations and the strengthening of international cooperation.