Science and Technology Diplomacy and International Collaboration

Science has been used to defuse political tension long before the term “science diplomacy” was coined. During the cold war these was an active exchange of US and Soviet scientists. When Nixon visited China in 1972, the US and China identified science as an area of cooperation. It is important, however, that science diplomacy be more than governments involving scientists in international collaborations. Scientists themselves must take the lead in rethinking their approach to science education and help educate the future decision and policy makers about science. Only then will the world be better positioned to tackle the much larger problems that face the global community as a whole.