Norway-EU Science Diplomacy Network: Science Diplomacy Strategy and Practice for Arctic, Russia, UN, and Ocean Policy

Norway-EU Science Diplomacy Network brings together excellent European research in science diplomacy with Norwegian research and practice concerning Arctic, Russia, ocean and the United Nations. EU Science Diplomacy Alliance (formerly Cluster) represents three H2020 projects on science diplomacy, EL-CSID, S4D4C og InsSciDE. Science diplomacy forms an integrated part in Norwegian foreign and security policy concerning the Arctic, Russia, oceans and the UN. Norway-EU Science Diplomacy Network is integrated in the EU Science Diplomacy Alliance and particularly InsSciDE with its Norwegian partners, UiT, Arctic Frontiers conference and SDG Science Advice UiB. Norway-EU Science Diplomacy Network has conducted two webinars which has presented European Science Diplomacy research and Norwegian high-level experiences concerning the Arctic, Russia, oceans and the UN. 14 June InsSciDE researchers and partners from UiT, Arctic Frontiers og SDG Science Advice UiB met in the InsSciDE theory webinar, where key Norwegian science diplomacy experiences concerning Arctic, Russia, oceans and the UN were presented and discussed. 21-25 June InsSciDE delivered its Warsaw Science Diplomacy 2021 online summer course for 24 highly qualified young scholars and science diplomacy practitioners from all over the world. As part of the course, a panel presented and discussed the Norway-EU Science Diplomacy Network bringing together EU Science Diplomacy research and Norwegian high-level Arctic, Russia, oceans and UN experiences from UiT, Arctic Frontiers and SDG Science Advice UIB. New UiT rector (former UiB rector) Dag Rune Olsen presented his experiences and visions for university science diplomacy.

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This project builds a long-term Norway-EU Science Diplomacy Network to support Norwegian and EU research and strategy on science diplomacy. The Norway-EU Science Diplomacy Network will bring together Norwegian science diplomacy practitioners from government, academia, civil society, indigenous peoples' organisations, and social partners (employers and labor) with European Science Diplomacy Cluster scholars, and EU institutions engaged in science diplomacy, Arctic, Russia, UN, and ocean policy. The Network will start out with webinars (2021) and transition to hybrid online and in-person meetings at sessions at the Arctic Frontiers conference in Tromsø (2022, 2023), Arendalsuka (2022), and a Brussels seminar (2022). Science diplomacy is the use of scientific research and higher education for foreign and security policy purposes. There is a long historical record of such use of research and higher education by both state and non-state actors. In recent years, the term science diplomacy has gained much attention in scholarly and policy circles, which should not be confused with recent occurrence, as science diplomacy as practice has a long record. The European Union and its member-states are one of the biggest economic, regulatory, scientific and security actors in the world with worldwide presence and reach. European nations have centuries of global engagement, and European science, culture, languages, education, etc., has penetrated and shaped large parts of the world. The European Union therefore seeks a deep theoretical and strategic understanding of the use and potential of science diplomacy for its global role based on historical research. This theoretical and strategic understanding is pursued through the Cluster. Norway uses science diplomacy extensively in its High North policy. The Arctic is Norway's most important foreign and security policy area. Norway also uses science diplomacy extensively in its global UN and ocean policy.