Programme
The rationale
Global North and Global South became recently the terms most widely used to account for the North–South divide, i.e. lower-income countries on one side and developed industrial countries on the other. Although both concepts presuppose a homogenization/monolithism of the two categories that urgently calls for additional fine tuning – there are strong imbalances and inequalities among countries belonging to the Global North and the same goes for those that are part of the Global South countries – they allow to identify in the context of globalization or global capitalism the fracturing asymmetries (mainly resources, income, welfare, life expectancy, levels of education, poverty and employment, access to technology) of today’s world. Moreover, the North-south brings to the forefront the importance of geopolitical relations and agencies.
European history, including both clashes among European powers and colonialism and imperialism, plays an inseparable role in the Global North-Global South architecture and should aim also at playing a more active role in reshaping international relations. Science diplomacy is particularly well placed to assume the role of mediator in what concerns common global challenges and development issues.
The Lisbon Open Conference proposes to address different, sometime conflictual, perspectives on how a new vision and practice of science diplomacy may be critical to bridge the Global North and the Global South interests and contribute to finding common, albeit diverse, solutions.
Please note that times listed below are Lisbon time (UTC+1/CET-1)
Tuesday March 22
International Action of Academies: Between Cooperation, Networking and Science Diplomacy (18th-21st centuries)
The European Network of Academies, guest lecturers and selected papers received via an open call will chart Academies’ international action in the present and as far back at the 18th century.
Academies have played a significant role in structuring the concept of science diplomacy, notably with the Royal Society’s 2010 report ‘New frontiers in science diplomacy’ published with AAAS. The session builds on previous exploratory work between InsSciDE and the European Network of Academies to delineate the role of academies as science diplomacy organizations, particularly concerning their international involvement and role in asserting science diplomacy.
9:30-10:00
Welcome Address
José Luís Cardoso
President of the Lisbon Academy of Sciences
Pascal Griset
Sirice, Sorbonne Université, InsSciDE Coordinator
Maria Paula Diogo
Interuniversity Centre for the History of Science and Technology (CIUHCT), InsSciDE
10:00-11:00
Session 1
Moderator
Rasmus Bertelsen
UiT The Arctic University of Norway
The role of the Berlin Academy of Sciences in the cultural and economic development during the first half of the eighteenth century
Javier Poveda Figueroa
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Building agrarian science in the European periphery: international connections and national initiatives
Dulce Freire (Online) + Leonardo Aboim Pires(Online)
University of Coimbra, CEIS20, ReSEED Project
Visual representations of Academies of Sciences: Artistic reflections on the Institutional cooperation of scientists and artists in 18th century Europe
Sophie-Luise Mävers (Online)
University of Cologne
Coffee Break
11:30-13:00
Session 2
Moderator
Daniel Gamito-Marques
CIUHCT, InsSciDE
Royal Academy of Sciences of Lisbon (1779-1834): a moving program
José Alberto Silva
CIUHCT
Science diplomacy in the Republic of Letters: The Naturalist Abbé Correia da Serra
Maria Paula Diogo and Ana Simões
CIUHCT, InsSciDE
The European History of Academies Research Initiative, the digital prosopography MINE, and the domestic and foreign membership development of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (1847-2022)
Johannes Feichtinger and Sandra Klos
German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
The Vienna Academy of Sciences as an Imperial Agent: Science Diplomacy and Habsburg’s Informal Empire in the “Orient”
Johannes Mattes (Online)
Austrian Academy of Sciences
Lunch Break + Visit to the Academy Premises
14:30-16:00
Session 3
Moderator
Daniel Kaiser
Scientific Policy Officer, All European Academies (ALLEA)
Between universalism and the promotion of French science: The Academy of Sciences as an original diplomatic agent (17th-21st centuries)
Pascal Griset
Sirice, Sorbonne Université, InsSciDE Coordinator
Indian Science Congress Association and International Relations in Science, 1938-1964
Sneha Sinha (Online)
Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS)
Scientific agreements between Soviet sciences academies and French counterparts
Jérome Pierrel (Online)
Université de Bordeux
On the temporal gap between the world of knowledge and public policies
Rui Vilela Mendes
Lisbon Academy of Sciences, Class of Sciences
Coffee Break
16:30-18:00
Session 4
Moderator
Paula Urze
CIUHCT, InsSciDE
Our man in New York: Swedish technical attachées
Nina Wormbs (Online)
KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Sweden), InsSciDE
Globalization in Portuguese: Mutual Knowledge within CPLP?
Jorge Braga de Macedo + Manuel Alves da Rocha (Online)
Lisbon Academy of Sciences, Class of Letters
ALLEA – Connecting European Academies since 1994
Daniel Kaiser
Scientific Policy Officer, All European Academies (ALLEA)
The Role of the Network of African Science Academies (NASAC), its origin, creation and development
M. N. Hounkonnou
President, Network of African Science Academies (NASAC)
Providing expert advice to EU policy-makers: EASAC and science diplomacy
Peter Collins
Emeritus Director, Royal Society
18:00-18:30
Closing Remarks
Leonard Laborie
CNRS, Sirice, InsSciDE Deputy Coordinator
Ana Simões
Interuniversity Centre for the History of Science and Technology (CIUHCT), InsSciDE
Wednesday March 23
Science Diplomacy, Diversity and the Global South
Diverse stakeholders come together to discuss the entanglements between science diplomacy and four topics that InsSciDE deems central to future action: Open Science, Anthropocene, Technoscience and Innovation Diplomacy, New Actors and a New Definition of Science Diplomacy.
9:00-9:30
Welcome Ceremony
Pascal Griset
Sirice, Sorbonne Université, InsSciDE Coordinator
Virgílio Machado
Dean of the NOVA School of Science and Technology
Isabel Rocha
Representative of the Rector of the NOVA University of LisbonManuel Heitor
Portuguese Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education
Note: Due to the anticipation of the Ministers’ Council that will announce the new government of Portugal the agenda of the Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education was canceled for this day.
Ana Rodrigues e Isabel Amaral
Coordination of the Interuniversity Centre for the History of Science and Technology (CIUHCT)
Maria Paula Diogo
Interuniversity Centre for the History of Science and Technology (CIUHCT), InsSciDE Coordinator of the Lisbon Open Conference
9:30-11:00
Roundtable 1 – Open Science
Open science is now a policy priority for the European Commission, and in November 2021, UNESCO adopted the first international standard setting instrument on open science, the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science. How will this paradigm-change in the practice of science affect international scientific relations? How might open science constitute a key practice for a more balanced and confident relationship between Global North and Global South?
Keynote
António Sampaio da Nóvoa
University of Lisbon, former Ambassador of Portugal to UNESCO
Moderator
Ana Persic
UNESCO, InsSciDE
Panel
João Caraça
Senior Advisor, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
Antonio Loprieno (Online)
All European Academies (ALLEA)
Katja Mayer (Online)
Centre for Social Innovation (ZSI)
Alessia Chiriatti
Research Fellow, Padua University
Jose Mauricio Quintero Suarez
Pontificia Universidad Javeriana
Coffee Break
11:30-13:00
The Anthropocene
The concept of Anthropocene (as the current geological age, during which human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment) gained relevance particularly for its association with environmental problems. The event will explore how science diplomacy may be a tool to open up the much-needed dialogue between the Global North and South on critical topics such as sustainability, decarbonization and “green New Deal”.
Keynote
Sanjay Seth (Online)
Goldsmiths, University of London
Moderator
Maria Paula Diogo
Interuniversity Centre for the History of Science and Technology (CIUHCT), NOVA School of Science and Technology, InsSciDE
Panel
Joana Gaspar
Strategic Studies and Analyses Center at Instituto Diplomático
André Felipe Cândido da Silva (Online)
Casa Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz
Inês Raimundo (Online)
Universidade Eduardo Mondlane
Nelson Arellano (Online)
Universidad Academia de Humanismo Cristiano
Hugo Pereira
Interuniversity Centre for the History of Science and Technology (CIUHCT), NOVA School of Science and Technology
Lunch Break
14:30-16:00
Technoscience and Innovation Diplomacy
At the intersection of technoscientific diplomacy and economic diplomacy, innovation diplomacy is becoming increasingly important to bridge the Global North-Global South divide. The section will consider whether innovation diplomacy may be a new and more suitable form of collaboration (or competition) in a knowledge-based globalized economy, and how this may (or may not) entail a reconsideration of the meaning of innovation.
Keynote
John Krige
Kranzberg Professor at the School of History, Technology and Society, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta
Moderator
Pascal Griset
Sirice, Sorbonne Université, InsSciDE Coordinator
Panel
Rodrigo Martins
President of the European Academy of Sciences
Jorge Flores
Interuniversity Centre for the History of Science and Technology (CIUHCT), Faculty of Sciences, Lisbon University
Ana Pinto
Portuguese Institute of International Relations
Marta Passadouro (Online)
Advisor for Research Rector’s Office, University of Coimbra
Britta Thomsen
Former Danish Social Democratic Member of the European Parliament 2004-2014
Coffee Break
16:30-18:00
New Actors and a New Definition of Science Diplomacy
Beyond formal science diplomacy, which informal channels are available to allow civil society (for instance via Citizen Science programs), NGOs, minorities, and under-represented groups to engage in building different science diplomacy narratives? And how will these “alternative” narratives reshape and relocate the definition of science diplomacy?
Keynote
Peter McGrath (Online)
InterAcademy Partnership, The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS)
Moderator
Anna Åberg
Chalmers, Technology Management and Economics, Science, Technology and Society
Panel
Cristina Luís
Interuniversity Centre for the History of Science and Technology (CIUHCT), Faculty of Sciences, Lisbon University
Justino Pinto de Andrade (Online)
Universidade Católica de Angola
Jaume Valentines-Álvarez
Interuniversity Centre for the History of Science and Technology (CIUHCT), NOVA School of Science and Technology
Thierry Aubry
Côa Foundation
Ana Noronha
Ciência Viva
Luís Miguel Lacerda
Representative of the Portuguese Association of Researchers and Students in the UK (PARSUK)
M.N. Hounkonnou
President of the Network of African Science Academies (NASAC)
Additional Contribution
Gabriela Ferreira (Online)
São Paulo University
Polar Science Diplomacy Statement from APECS – Association of Polar Early Career Scientists
Statement regarding the war in Ukraine written by young scientists – new actors in science diplomacy – working in polar science (Arctic and Antartica) two territories that are particularly critical both concerning collaboration and conflicts.
18:00-18:30
Closing Address
Umberto Vattani
Former Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy
Thursday March 24
10:00-17:00 GMT
Interactive in-person session. Limited capacity – register to be listed for a spot.
InsSciDE Case Studies of Science Diplomacy: Cross-cutting Themes and Practical Applications
The spotlight sets on InsSciDE’s historical case studies from the forthcoming book of Harmonized Case Studies. In this highly dynamic session, case study authors, invited experts and public attendees engage with the research to identify cross-cutting themes and present-day applications for teaching, training and everyday practice.
Spanning the project themes of Health, Space, Security, Science Diplomats and more, the cases dissect power structures and vested interests that drive science diplomacy, question the very notion of a ‘science diplomat’, and probe the alleged capacity of science diplomacy to champion global challenges.
Practitioners’ voices are particularly desired in the debates to help test and enhance the cases’ relevance to present and future science diplomacy practice and teaching.