Summer of Science Diplomacy
By Debanjana Chatterjee
As we reflect over the past 10 years of the AAAS Center for Science Diplomacy, a major recent trend that we have observed is the grassroots efforts of students and early-career scientists who seek to take ownership of their own education and training in science diplomacy. We see these efforts led by alumni from our courses in science diplomacy (such as #SDL2018, taking place next week) and through our initiative to bring this community together under the Science Diplomacy Education Network. This piece by Dr. Debanjana Chatterjee outlines her path as a scientist who designed and launched science diplomacy course at her institution following her exposure to science diplomacy — and her realization about the broader role that scientists have in society.
As a scientist with a deep love for traveling, languages, and ethnology, I had often wondered how one can blend such divergent interests while carving out a fulfilling career. The answer became clearer upon discovering the world of science diplomacy through the career transition story of Dr. Marga Gual Soler, senior project director and science diplomat at the AAAS Center for Science Diplomacy. To my surprise, I realized my life and scientific career had been impacted by science diplomacy as far back in 2010 when I set off to Germany from India to pursue my PhD.
At that time, I had been unaware of the “diplomacy for science” efforts between India and Germany that had made this academic trajectory possible. In 2006, Germany and India signed a Memorandum of Understanding to further collaborate in the fields of science and technology, promote talent acquisition and capacity building, as well as to improve bilateral relations. As a part of this Science and Technology Collaboration, the Indo-German Science Centre for Infectious Diseases (IG-SCID), New Delhi, was opened in 2007. The IG-SCID had further brought together the Indian Council of Medical Research, the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, and the Hannover Medical School (MHH) in an attempt to foster multi-institutional interdisciplinary research and cooperation through joint workshops and exchange programs.
These new partnerships provided me the opportunity to have in-person interviews with prospective mentors from Germany right in New Delhi, India. Along with some other Indian students, I had gone on to secure a full scholarship for my doctoral studies at MHH, which led to one of the most fulfilling career moves of my life. To date, 133 students have benefited from this program. The German House for Research and Innovation at New Delhi continues to facilitate such bilateral projects in higher education, language, science, research, and innovation.
Inspired by this personal revelation, I was keen on learning more about ongoing science diplomacy efforts in the world and how I could contribute.
Soon after, I attended my first science diplomacy course at New York University (NYU), thanks to organizers Dr. Christine Ponders, Dr. Ursula Koniges, and Dr. Brent Wells. The NYU course featured an impressive lineup of speakers ranging from Nobel Laureate, Harold Varmus, to Dr. William Colglazier, editor-in-chief of Science & Diplomacy.
The course introduced the role of scientists in advocacy, diplomatic affairs, and policy-making. It also included an assignment to write a policy memo on a key diplomatic or public policy issue with a strong scientific underpinning. I decided I had to share this enriching experience with my fellow postdocs at Columbia University and sought the guidance of Dr. Ericka Peterson and Amanda Kelly at the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs — who wholeheartedly embraced the idea. We were able to put together a summer course on science diplomacy with speakers from a wide breath of expertise, and the “summer of science diplomacy” was born.
The course began with a special introductory lecture on policy writing by Prof. Christopher Sabatini, faculty at Columbia School of International and Public Affairs and a former AAAS S&T Policy Fellow. Dr. Koniges from NYU, currently a presidential management fellow, shared a treasure-trove of information for young scientists on how to transition into the field of science diplomacy and provided a comprehensive list of science policy clubs, courses, fellowships, volunteer opportunities as well as prospective employers across the globe. Dr. Joann Halpern, then Director of New York German Center for Research and Innovation, shed light on Germany’s continued initiative for building global connections and increasing the visibility of German research. Dr. Gavin Schmidt, Director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York, spoke about the challenges faced by climate scientists in promoting evidence-based policy making on global warming.
The role of scientists working with Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) in pushing forward the Sustainable Development Goals set forth by UN was introduced by Lauren Barredo, presently the head of partnerships there. Dr. Marga Gual Soler shared several anecdotes about AAAS’ resilient endeavors in strengthening ties with countries such as Cuba and North Korea through science diplomacy. Science advocate and renowned journalist at NPR, Robert Krulwich, used his story-telling abilities to demonstrate the subtle art of science communication. The final speaker of the course was Dr. Shantanu Mukherjee, chief of policy at UNDP, New York. He took to the whiteboard to explain the intricate workings of the UN and gave invaluable tips on how to strike a balance between scientific facts and policy-making in the face of unpredictable real-world socioeconomic variables.
Shifting focus to the participants, the course hosted around 40 New York-based postdoctoral scientists from India, Bangladesh, Israel, Spain, France, USA, among others. Not surprisingly, this ‘internationality’ translated into ten policy memos on critical issues, ranging from science diplomacy initiatives to improving Isreali-Palestinian relations to action plans on food programs in developing countries. In a post-course survey, most attendees indicated that the course was highly relevant to their future career but found it somewhat difficult to write the policy memo despite their expertise and years of rigorous scientific training.
Overall, students voiced the need for further guidance on policy writing underscoring the importance of establishing courses like this one to help researchers add to their existing skill-set to successfully navigate the world of policy-making.
Of note, AAAS has been making efforts in encouraging and building a network of such student-initiated science policy and diplomacy courses and has recently established the Science Diplomacy Education Network (SciDipEd), a ‘one-stop shop’ for such courses, events, internships and fellowships, and other opportunities in science diplomacy education and training to help researchers gain exposure to this interesting career option. The Columbia University Science Policy and Diplomacy course is a member of their growing list of such programs.
The positive and enriching experience of putting this course together reaffirmed my convictions about the role scientists can play in helping shape policy decisions across the globe. Earlier, my vision of science was much more of a self-contained unit. However, my tryst into the world of science diplomacy has changed that forever and instilled a sense of awareness of the bigger picture. A medical breakthrough is no more just about its clinical implications but also socioeconomic ones. Similarly, while a new international collaboration is not just scientific capacity pooling but also a potential seed for bottom-up science diplomacy.
Debanjana Chatterjee is currently an associate research scientist at Columbia University. She received her PhD in Immunology from Hannover Medical School in Germany. She hopes to translate her basic and clinical research experiences into evidence-based policy-making.
