![](/pictures/backgroundtransparent/width1440/news_id110.jpg)
NEW SCIENCE DIPLOMACY HORIZONS DISCUSSED AT SPIEF
On June 6th,
a panel discussion on “New Horizons for Science Diplomacy in Times of Uncertainty:
What Can Be Done Today?” hosted by the VYZOV Foundation was held at the St.
Peterburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF). The representatives of science
and government discussed ways of building and maintaining scientific ties
between countries and the crucial role of science diplomacy in addressing this
issue.
“In my
opinion, this is the most interesting panel discussion of the entire forum. I'm
glad to be here today. Science is a bridge between nations and countries, and
we are interested in being closer to each other,” said Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary of the Federative Republic of Brazil to the Russian
Federation Rodrigo de Lima Baena Soares.
Andrey
Fursenko, Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation, emphasized that
international cooperation in science must continue despite geopolitical
differences. “We are not closing our doors. This is important both for our
foreign colleagues and for us, and most importantly, it keeps open the
opportunities for cooperation. We have reasons to be optimistic. Russia’s
openness and readiness to cooperate that we demonstrate is an important factor
in ensuring that there are more of these reasons.”
Denis
Sekirinsky, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian
Federation, spoke about three key principles of science diplomacy. In his
opinion, they include having your own position and the ability to defend it,
knowing and respecting your partner, as well as engaging in collaborative
efforts. “The Young Scientists Congress, which this year will be held together
with the BRICS Young Scientist Forum, will become a space for developing a new
dialogue based on these three elements,” noted Denis Sekirinsky.
Vladislav
Panchenko, Vice-President of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Vice-President
of the Kurchatov Institute Research Center, noted that despite geopolitical
pressure, international connections remain strong. “Fundamental science develops
through mutual exchange of ideas, thoughts, and methods for solving certain
problems. These interactions continue both between individual scientists as
well as many international organizations.”
Sergey
Kilin, Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, professor of
the Belarusian State University, and member of the scientific committee of the VYZOV
Prize, also took part in the discussion. He is confident that isolation in
science is impossible. “Under current conditions, it is impossible to isolate
the scientific community of any country; this can be proven mathematically.
Mutual enrichment of scientists continues even in the current difficult
geopolitical situation.”
Pavlos
Lagudakis, Professor at the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology
(Skoltech) and winner of the VYZOV Prize 2023, who has extensive experience
working in laboratories abroad, decided to pursue a scientific career in Russia
because it is important for him to work with the best specialists. “Russia has
exceptional human capital, and many Western scientists are considering going
back to collaborating with Russian colleagues,” said 2023 VYZOV Prize winner
and Skoltech professor Pavlos Lagudakis.
Leonid
Shlyakhover, President of the VYZOV Foundation for the Development of
Scientific and Cultural Relations, co-founder of the VYZOV Prize, said that
this year, 594 applications for the prize were received, of which more than 100
were submitted in the international Discovery category. He also talked about
other foundation projects related to science diplomacy.
“We strive
to create informal platforms for communication. In February of this year, the VYZOV
Foundation held the SCIENCE. DIALOGUE. TRUST winter meetings that brought
together international experts from 25 countries, including representatives of
ministries, diplomatic departments, and world’s leading universities. On
September 19th, 2024, the VYZOV Foundation plans to hold the autumn meetings in
the Science and Art format. These events are designed to develop scientific and
cultural relations, which is inherent in the very name of our foundation,” said
Leonid Shlyakhover, president of the VYZOV Foundation.
The VYZOV
Foundation for the Development of Scientific and Cultural Relations will
continue its work in the field of science diplomacy and develop informal
platforms for open international scientific dialogue.
You can
watch the session on the SPIEF website.