June 27, 2018

Associate Research Fellow at UNU-CRIS Simon Schunz and EL-CSID Project Researcher Riccardo Trobbiani will present their paper that examined to what extent and why the EU engages in cultural diplomacy vis-à-vis the US at the United University Institute- CRIS in Bruges. 

For more information you can go to the link below!

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June 25-26, 2018

EL-CSID Senior Researcher Richard Higgott presented his paper "The Failed Promise of EU Cultural and Science Diplomacy" in Paris at the Conference on Diplomacy in the 21st Century- Behind the diplomat, the negotiator?. The Conference dealt with the role of the diplomat as experienced by its practitioners, on the decisive moments of diplomatic action, its conditions and its consequences. 

June 21, 2018

EL-CSID researchers Jerneja Penca, Antoine Hatzenberger (EMUNI) and Elke Boers (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) attended the MERID Final Conference "Towards an Increased EU-Middle East STI Cooperation"  in Portoroz, Slovenia. The MERID project partners presented the results of the project and shared their valuable insights and recommendations on future cooperation between the EU and the Middle Eastern countries in Science, Technology and Innovation.

May 23, 2018

EL-CSID researcher Selin Naciye Senocak (Centre d'Etudes Diplomatiques et Stratégiques) delivers a seminar on "EU Neighbourhood Policies and the role of Cultural Diplomacy" at International Eurasia Press Fund (IEPF)​, founder of Eurasia Education Center​, in Baku, Azerbaijan.

May 18-19, 2018

EL-CSID researchers Neil Collins and Kristina Bekenova (Nazarbayev University) deliver a paper presentation on "Discourse at a Distance: Europe in Kazakhstan" at the conference on "(dis)Covering Discourses" at the University College Cork, Ireland. The aim of this trans-disciplinary conference is to offer researchers a space to explore and challenge current discourses, and to think about what is absent in the current discursive regimes. Taking into account that the EU is facing the image crisis, and its identity is challenged in the current political discourse, both within and between member states, it is ironic that the discourse on Europe outside the EU is often much more positive in tone. This is the case in Kazakhstan. The paper offers an examination of Kazakh media attitudes toward the EU. It shows that the Kazakh identity is expressed not in opposition to the EU, i.e. not "Us vs Them", but rather "Us as one of Them".

May 16-18, 2018

The EL-CSID Consortium is well represented at the European Union in International Affairs (EUIA) Conference in Brussels! On Thursday 17 May, EL-CSID organises two panels respectively addressing "Contesting European foreign policy: Rules, norms and practices challenged from outside" and "‘Reaching across the fault lines?’ The role of Intra-European Cultural Diplomacy in the age of populisms". On Friday 18 May, an EL-CSID panel on "EU science diplomacy: supporting regionalism in the South" is held. For more information on the composition of EL-CSID panels and papers to be presented, please consult the conference programme.

May 15, 2018

The fifth meeting of the EL-CSID Steering Committee brought together the consortium members to discuss the EL-CSID research agenda, the progress achieved on the different work packages as well as the planning of the future research and dissemination activities. The EL-CSID Steering Committee meets on a biannual basis. The meeting took place at the premises of the Warwick Brussels Office in Brussels.

May 14-15, 2018

The EL-CSID Workshop on "Diplomacy and Development: Trends and Challenges for Europe and Its Partners" seeks to investigate the role of cultural and scientific diplomacy with respect to the foreign policy ambitions of the EU and its member states. Discussion also covers other forms of the ‘new diplomacy’. The workshop is organised by Nazarbayev University, in collaboration with the University of Warwick and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, and is held on 14-15 May 2018 in Brussels, Belgium.

May 3, 2018

EL-CSID scientific coordinator Luk Van Langenhove (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) addresses “The long past and short history of the practice of Science Diplomacy” and “European Union Science Diplomacy in review” at the Panel Workshop on Science Diplomacy. Organised by the Diplomatic School of Armenia and funded by the European Union, this panel workshop also deals with: “Global Challenges, New Frontiers and the Limitations of Armed Force”, “Best Practices in Science Diplomacy: leading examples from North America, Europe and Asia.” Opening Remarks will be delivered by Vahe Gabrielyan, PhD, Director, Diplomatic School of Armenia, Ambassador, Dr. Armen Der-Kiureghian, President, American University of Armenia, and Hoa-Binh Adjemian, Head of Cooperation of the EU Delegation to Armenia. This event  is designed for students and academics in Armenian universities, and targeted officials and professors.

April 13-14, 2018

The Workshop on "Soft Power in Transatlantic Relations" was jointly organised by the College of Europe and the EL-CSID project in Bruges. The focus was on the role of soft power and "soft diplomacy" in transatlantic relations, a topic of growing importance at times of strained transatlantic relations over issues such as security and trade. EL-CSID researchers featured well in the programme. Senior Researcher Richard Higgott (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) presented a paper on “The EU perspective on transatlantic higher education relations”, while Project Researcher Riccardo Trobbiani (UNU-CRIS) co-presented with Simon Schunz (College of Europe/UNU-CRIS) a paper on “The EU perspective on transatlantic cultural relations”. EL-CSID Scientific Coordinator Luk van Langenhove drew the workshop's concluding remarks.

March 28, 2018

EL-CSID researchers Neil Collins and Kristina Bekenova (Nazarbayev University) deliver a presentation on "Exploring Kazakhstan: The European Perspective" in the framework of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS) City Speaker Series at Nazarbayev University. Their talk explores the European Union perspective on relations with Kazakhstan. It is based on research publishing in leading journals, including papers on “European cultural diplomacy: diaspora relations with Kazakhstan”, “Digital diplomacy: success at your fingertips”, “Knowing me, knowing me: media portrayal of the EU in Kazakhstan”.

March 23, 2018

EL-CSID researcher Riccardo Trobbiani (United Nations University) was invited to attend the EU Cultural Diplomacy Platform's  Workshop on “International Cultural Relations in Practice” at BOZAR, Brussels. The workshop discussed policy objectives as well as models for partnerships and funding of EU international cultural relations. 

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The workshop was organised by the Cultural Diplomacy Platform, which aims at gathering all the actors of the European external cultural relations, and engaging them on a continuous basis, receive feedback, policy advice and support.

March 22, 2018

EL-CSID Scientific Coordinator Luk Van Langenhove (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) attends the final conference of the Tour d’Europe organised by the European Commission in the 28 capitals of the EU in order to discuss the outcome of the Europe’s Future report prepared by the RISE Advisory Group to Commissioner Carlos Moedas. Luk acts as a discussant in the working session on “Europe’s Future R&I Policy – Visions and Values for Openness”. The session discusses how the EU can be more responsive to citizens’ needs in a policy of Open Science, Open Innovation and Open to the World?

March 20, 2018

The Second EL-CSID Policy Briefing on “Science Diplomacy in search of a Purpose in the Populist Era” was organised in Brussels. The aim of this event was to make an assessment of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing Science Diplomacy today and of the prospects for the development of an EU Science Diplomacy approach. The event discussed the policy recommendations formulated in the EL-CSID policy brief 4 authored by EL-CSID researchers Luk Van Langenhove and Elke Boers (Vrije Universiteit Brussel and United Nations University). The policy brief was discussed by Koen Verlaeckt, Secretary General at Flanders Department of Foreign Affairs, and with the audience.

March 20, 2018

EL-CSID researcher Naciye Selin Senocak (Centres d'Etudes Diplomatiques et Stratégiques) attended the Women Influence Community (WIC) Forum in Geneva, where she delivered a speech on "Establishing Peace and Resolving Conflicts through Cultural Diplomacy". She participated in her quality as "Muse". The WIC aims to unite proactive female business-managers, thought-leaders, philosophers, mothers, artists, muses, investors and entrepreneurs, to make a worldwide impact and even strengthen their role in today’s global business and society. For more information, consult the WIC Forum's programme or Selin's Muse story.

March 7-8, 2018

EL-CSID researcher Naciye Selin Senocak (Centre d'Etudes Diplomatiques et Stratégiques) delivers a presentation on "The Axiology of Fintech and the Role of Cultural Diplomacy and Ethics" at the FINTECH conference in Valencia, Spain. This edition of the FINTECH conference will focus on "What matters now?". We live today in an environment in which powerful forces are reshaping the financial industry. Proliferation of digital technologies, lack of trust, arrival of new generations, regulatory requirements, demographics and economics are together creating an imperative to change. Further information on the conference can be found at: FINTECH conference website

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February 22, 2018

EL-CSID researchers Neil Collins and Kristina Bekenova (Nazarbayev University) deliver a lecture on "Knowing EU: European Cultural Diplomacy in Kazakhstan" in the context of a Jean Monnet lecture series. The lecture will address the EU strategy for international cultural relations, the historical ties between Europe and Kazakhstan, the role of European diasporas in Kazakhstan and the use of digital diplomacy by the EU to interact with the Kazakh population. 

February 19-22, 2018

EL-CSID researcher Riccardo Trobbiani (UNU-CRIS) joins the works of the of the EUNIC regional cluster meeting in the Neighbourhood South on 19-20 February. He also delivers a presentation on the topic of EU-MENA cultural relations at the seminar “Cultural Relations at Work: Supporting culture as an engine for sustainable social and economic development in the EU Neighbourhood South” on 21-22 February 2018 at the Instituto Cervantes Rabat, Morocco. The European Union National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC) cooperates with the EL-CSID Project to identify the best ways to define and implement an EU strategy for international cultural relations.

January 26, 2018

EL-CSID Scientific Coordinator Luk Van Langenhove delivers a keynote address on “European Science Diplomacy in search of a purpose” at the public launch of the InsSciDE project. InsSciDE stands for "Inventing a Shared Science Diplomacy for Europe". It is a Horizon 2020 project that runs until November 2021. The EL-CSID consortium very much looks forward to collaborating with the InsSciDE team!

December 15, 2017

EL-CSID researcher Jerneja Penca (Euro-Mediterranean University-EMUNI) delivers a lecture on "Science diplomacy in practice and in research" within the Master on Communication of Science at SISSA, the International School for Advanced Studies (Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati) in Trieste. Jerneja will talk about science diplomacy in practice and as an object of research. In the first part, she will discuss the establishment of EMUNI as an example of “science diplomacy”. In the second part, she will present the EL-CSID project and engage with the notion of “science diplomacy” conceptually and empirically, looking at how scientific cooperation has been practiced in the Euro-Mediterranean region and the impact on the relations between the EU and the countries it has had.

December 8-9, 2017

EL-CSID researcher Franklyn Lisk (University of Warwick) delivered a presentation on "Demystifying Universal Health  Coverage (UHC): Concepts, goals and impact outcomes" at the annual conference of the Afro-European Medical and Research Network (AEMRN). AEMRN is a Swiss-based global Diaspora health professional organisation that is accredited to the WHO and UN ECOSOC. The theme of the annual conference, which brought together European and US-based Diaspora health professionals engaged in health sector development projects in Africa as well as representatives of the WHO and UNAIDS, was "Universal Health Coverage... Leaving no one behind" (programme).

November 30, 2017

Cultural and science diplomacy have played an increasing role in the European and Chinese diplomatic story in recent years. Both the EU and China have made major start articulating the relevance of cultural and science for their external relations. The EU as a civilian power and China as an emerging soft power have different approaches to cultural and science diplomacy in practice. The workshop will address these issues.

It is jointly organised by the Confucius Institute, the Brussels Academy for China and European Studies (BACES) and the EL-CSID project at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), with the collaboration of the European Institute for Asian Studies (EIAS). The workshop programme can be consulted at: EIAS website.

November 24, 2017

The EL-CSID Consortium is meeting its Advisory Board for the second time today! The function of the advisory board is to oversee the operation of the project and provide independent direction and advice. This meeting will give the opportunity to the EL-CSID consortium to present its progress to date and to benefit from their useful suggestions and insights. The outcome of the mid-term review report was also discussed with the advisory board.

November 23, 2017

The fourth meeting of the EL-CSID Steering Committee brought together the consortium members to discuss the EL-CSID research agenda, the progress achieved on the different work packages as well as the planning of the future research and dissemination activities. The EL-CSID Steering Committee meets on a biannual basis. The meeting took place at the premises of the International Council for Science in Paris.

October 30-31, 2017

#ELCSID researcher Selin Senocak (Centre d'Etudes Diplomatiques et Stratégiques) took part in the first General Assembly of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Civil Peace Platform of the OSCE Minsk Group in Tbilissi, Georgia, where she delivered a presentation on "Nagorno-Karabakh Peace Building Process through Cultural Diplomacy". Newspaper articles (online) related to this event can be found at Today.az and Azvision.az.

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October 26, 2017

#ELCSID Scientific Coordinator Luk Van Langenhove (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) presents the EL-CSID project at the Conference on "Knowledge Diplomacy: Linking Science, Education and Cultural Diplomacy" organised by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Germany to the EU and Brussels. The seminar looks at the German and European approaches for integrating science, education and culture in external policy. The Conference programme can be consulted at: DAAD website.

October 23, 2017

The First EL-CSID Policy Briefing on “Enhancing the EU’s International Cultural Relations: The Prospects and Limits of Cultural Diplomacy” aimed to make an assessment of the opportunities and the constraints facing those who would seek to support EU external relations via the enhancement of international cultural relations and cultural diplomacy. It discussed the recommendations formulated in the EL-CSID policy paper on "Enhancing the EU's International Cultural Relations" written by Prof. Richard Higgott (Vrije Universiteit Brussel). #EUculturalrelations

October 17, 2017

#ELCSID Scientific Coordinator Luk Van Langenhove delivers a presentation on Science, Technology and Innovation Diplomacy at the EU Platform Symposium organised by the Department Economy, Science and Innovation (EWI) and the Flemish-European Liaison Agency (vleva). 

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The Symposium will aim at discussing the international challenges for the EU Platform, the Flemish Platform for European Programmes bringing together the government, universities, the industry and civil society. It will address issues such as the 9th EU framework programme, science, technology and innovation diplomacy, research infrastructure, open data policy and the European Research Area (ERA) roadmap.

October 16, 2017

#ELCSID partner UNU-CRIS organised a Seminar on "Positioning Theory as a framework to study Science Diplomacy discourses and practices" delivered by Melanie James. The seminar discussed how Positioning Theory could be applied to Science Diplomacy practices and undertakings. Indeed, the term ‘science diplomacy’ is gaining traction across the world, but the way it is intentionally represented in texts as either a policy concept or a specific practice varies widely. A better understanding of how the term is being used would facilitate specific strategic outcomes. More about Prof James' research stay at UNU-CRIS: here.

October 10-12, 2017

#ELCSID research Franklyn Lisk (University of Warwick) presented the EL-CSID research activities and findings at the meeting of the Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) of UN Environment (UNEP) in Guangzhou, China. The SAP supports the preparation of the sixth edition of UNEP’s flagship report, the Global Environment Outlook (GEO6), which provides an integrated assessment on the state of global environment and present trends for air, climate, water, land and biodiversity. As a member of SAP, Franklyn is providing guidance on, inter alia, diplomacy, science and culture policy implications of the interactions between social, economic and environmental drivers of sustainable development as well as advice on efforts at outreach and capacity building activities benefiting developing countries.

September 28-29, 2017

#ELCSID researcher Franklyn Lisk (University of Warwick) participated in the European Research Council (ERC) Conference on "Beyond the Territorial State: Diaspora Mobilizations and Contested Sovereignty in the European Neighborhood" at the University of Warwick. He delivered a presentation on "Health Sector Development Assistance through the Lens of Diasporic Agents: Key Issues and Illustrative Examples from Sub-Sahara African (SSA) Countries” at the panel on "Fragile States and Diaspora Mobilizations". His presentation can be downloaded below.

September 29, 2017

#ELCSID senior researcher Richard Higgott (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) presented the EL-CSID project at the 15 years' anniversary of the Institute for European Studies at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. In his presentation on "Aspiration and Reality: The Prospects and Limits of EU Cultural and Science Diplomacy", he explained to a general audience the aims and objectives of the project and outlined the research findings to date. 

September 27, 2017

#ELCSID researcher Franklyn Lisk (University of Warwick) participated in the World Trade Organization's Public Forum 2017 in Geneva, where he delivered a presentation at the Working Session on "Africa's Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA): Achieving Human Rights-Consistent Development" organised by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). His presentation argued that conveyed his latest EL-CSID findings according to which integrating diplomacy and culture could impact positively on human rights dimensions of the liberalisation of trade in Africa.

September 12, 2017

#ELCSID researchers Richard Higgott and Virginia Proud (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) delivered a keynote on "Populism, Nationalism and International Cultural Relations" at the Network Conference on "Alliance for Global Cultural Relations" at the German Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations (IFA). The keynote addressed the relationship between the rise of populist nationalist political movements and their impact on European international cultural relations and cultural diplomacy. It provided insights into the activities of Europe’s cultural communities and their endeavours to restrict international cultural relations and mitigate narrow populist nationalist identity strategies. The presentation also looked at the constraints facing some recent strategies of the EU to enhance international cultural relations.

September 7, 2017

#ELCSID Scientific Coordinator Luk Van Langenhove (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) delivered a presentation on "Tools for an EU Science Diplomacy" at the Spanish Science Diplomacy, Technology and Innovation meeting. The meeting was hosted by the Fundación Ramón Areces in Madrid.

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The programme can be consulted in Spanish at: website of Fundación Ramón Areces

August 22, 2017

#ELCSID researchers Franklyn Lisk and Annamarie Bindenagel Šehović (University of Warwick) delivered a presentation on "Making the Impossible Possible: Knowledge Transfer to and from the Global South in Health Policy" at the EADI NORDIC Conference on "Globalisation at the Crossroads: Rethinking Inequalities and Boundaries" in Bergen, Norway. The presentation addressed knowledge transfer between the global North and global South in health policy. Case-studies include the 'Diaspora' option and the lessons learned on HIV and AIDS in South Africa.

August 17, 2017

#ELCSID researcher Franklyn Lisk (University of Warwick) was invited to be the keynote speaker at the opening ceremony on 17th August 2017 of the Inaugural Conference of the Graduate School of Public Policy (GSPP) at Nazarbayev University (NU), Astana, Kazakhstan. Both the University of Warwick and Nazarbayev University are partners in the EL-CSID project!

Prof. Lisk's keynote speech on "Promoting Good Governance in Natural Resources Management for Sustainable Development: Towards a Framework for Transparency and Accountability" is available online for consultation!

August 3, 2017

EL-CSID researcher Naciye Selin Senocak (Centre d'Etudes Diplomatiques et Stratégiques - CEDS) discusses her recently published working paper on "Cultural Integration of Muslims in Europe: Prevention of Cultural Misunderstanding and Radicalism" in an interview with Eurasia Diary. 

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The full version of the working paper can also be consulted at: EL-CSID working papers. 

June 30, 2017

The EL-CSID Panel on "Challenges in Global Policy Making: The Practice Turn in the New Diplomacy" (T05P06) was held on Friday 30 June in the context of the 3rd International Conference on Public Policy (ICPP), organised by the International Public Policy Association (IPPA) in conjunction with the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore (NUS).

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No less than eight papers were presented at the panel:

• ​Culture and Science Diplomacy in the 21st Century. Can we Talk of a Practice Turn? (Richard Higgott & Luk Van Langenhove)

• The Emergence of Hybrid Diplomacy (Jean-Christophe Bas)

• Advance Diaspora Diplomacy in a Networked World (Elena Douglas & Diane Stone)

• Public Dimension of Diplomacy: A Response to the Dilemma of the Paradox of the Cultural and Science Diplomacy (Sadoddin Sohrab)

• Linking Culture, Security and Diplomacy in the EU: A Bridge or a Bridge Too far? (Richard Higgott)

• The European Union as an Actor in Global Education Diplomacy (Silviu Piros & Joachim Koops)

• Emerging Practices of Diplomacy for Science in Europe: Tensions and Potentials? (Nicolas Rüffin & Uli Schreiterer)

• The practice of Science and Cultural Diplomacy studied from the Positioning Theory angle (Luk Van Langenhove & Melanie James)

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The panel description and papers can be consulted on the IPPA website (T05P06).

June 11-15, 2017

From June 11-15, the first Cultural Relations Forum was convened by EUNIC in partnership with the University of Siena. The Forum brought together an international group of policy makers, academics, researchers and practitioners to discuss how to implement H.E Mogherini’s Joint Communication Towards an EU Strategy for International Cultural Relations.

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The Forum was attended by a number of EL-CSID researchers from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel: Richard Higgott presented his thoughts on potential governance issues for a strategic approach, with responses from Diego Marani (EEAS) and Walter Zampieri (DG Education and Culture). Together with Virginia Proud, they also presented their views on populism and cultural resilience.

June 12, 2017

In the context of the conceptual work carried out for the Political Foresight Report, EL-CSID researchers Jos Leijten and Daniel Gehrt (Joint Institute for Innovation Policy) gave a presentation on "Exploring the future of science and innovation diplomacy" at the Futures of a Complex World Conference in Turku, Finland. The presentation discussed the increasing importance of countries’ innovation capabilities in the context of international relations and the impact of this development on “traditional” science diplomacy. The Futures Conferences are organised on an annual basis by the Finland Futures Research Centre and are a well-established and renowned forum for foresight and future studies. This year, the conference had more than 370 delegates.

April 27-28, 2017

The EL-CSID Workshop on "Diplomacy and Development" sought to investigate the role of cultural and scientific diplomacy with respect to global responses to pandemics, development and governance. It was organised by Nazarbayev University, in collaboration with the University of Warwick and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, and was held on 27-28 April 2017 in Malta.

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Consult the Press Release in our publications!

April 26, 2017

On 26 April, the third meeting of the EL-CSID Steering Committee brought together the consortium members to discuss the EL-CSID research agenda, the progress achieved on the different work packages as well as the planning of the future research and dissemination activities.

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The EL-CSID Steering Committee meets on a biannual basis. Its meetings are convened by the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, acting as the project coordinator.

April 21, 2017

EL-CSID researcher Riccardo Trobbiani (UNU-CRIS) delivered a presentation on “EU Cultural Diplomacy in the MENA: fostering regional and inter-regional cooperation” at the Conference on “Mapping Cultural Policy in the Arab Region”. The presentation addressed the role of EU’s cultural policies and initiatives in creating opportunities for regional cooperation, both around the Mediterranean and within Euro-Arab inter-regional relations. The conference was organised by the Arab Media Centre of the University of Westminster in London and brought together academics and professionals in the field of culture from both Arab countries and Europe. The conference programme can be consulted for further details. 

April 19-May 24, 2017

EL-CSID Scientific Coordinator Prof. Luk Van Langenhove organises a series of six guest lectures on "New Approaches to Diplomacy". The guest lecturers are practitioners and academics who discuss non-traditional forms of diplomacy such as economic and cultural diplomacy. Lectures take place on Wednesdays from 16:00-18:00 and are open to the public. 

March 29, 2017

EL-CSID researchers Nicolas Rüffin, Tim Flink and Uli Schreiterer (WZB Berlin Social Science Center) attend the Science Diplomacy 2017 Conference today! In the afternoon, they present a poster titled “The Global Diffusion of STA: Workhorses of D4S or Lame Ducks?” addressing the role of Science and Technology Agreement in Science Diplomacy.

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The #SciDip2017 Conference brings together scientists, policymakers, practitioners and students around emerging aspects of science diplomacy. It is hosted by the AAAS Center for Science Diplomacy in Washington D.C. The conference programme can be consulted here, and some of the sessions are livestreamed!

February 22-25, 2017

The EL-CSID Consortium is well-represented at the 58th Annual Convention of the International Studies Association (ISA) organised in Baltimore, Maryland! 

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On Thursday 23 February, EL-CSID researcher Caterina Carta (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) will present a paper on “Conceptualizing Cultural Diplomacy: Of Networks and Circles” at the panel on “Theoretical Approaches to Public Diplomacy”.​

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On Friday 24 February, the EL-CSID roundtable on "Health Policy Innovation, Science Diplomacy, and Economic Diplomacy" will explore the linkages between health policy innovation in emerging countries and its implications for science and economic diplomacy with countries in the North, namely the European Union. EL-CSID researchers will include Dr. Philippe De Lombaerde (UNU-CRIS), Dr. Ana B. Amaya, (UNU-CRIS), and Dr. Annamarie Bindenagel (University of Warwick). 

February 09-10, 2017

EL-CSID researcher Nicolas Rüffin (WZB Berlin Social Science Center) presented a concept paper on “Connecting practices in the field of Science Diplomacy” at the workshop on “Micro-moves in International Institutions” organised by the Standing group Sociology of International Relations of the German Political Science Association (Deutsche Vereinigung für Politikwissenschaft) in Potsdam, Germany.

December 16, 2016

EL-CSID researchers Franklyn Lisk and Annamarie  Bindenagel Šehović (University of Warwick) delivered a presentation on "The Role of Local Culture and Global Diplomacy (and their Integration with Science) in the Response to Global Epidemics and Infectious Diseases in Africa" at the Afro-European Medical and Research Network (AEMRN) meeting. The presentation can be consulted here.

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The meeting focussed primarily on EU-African exchanges and support in the medical, but also cultural and policy, fields. It brought together both diaspora and resident Africans, as well as others engaged in European-African knowledge transfer (in both directions) and was held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

December 2, 2016

EL-CSID researcher Richard Higgott (Institute for European Studies, IES-VUB) participated in the panel on “Cultural Diplomacy and Societal Security” and delivered a presentation on “Linking Culture, Diplomacy and Security: A Bridge, or a Bridge Too Far?” at the Conference on “Managing Societal Security in the European Union: policy-makers as securitizing actors”.

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Listen to his presentation by consulting the following video! A recording of the Q&A session is also available online.

December 1, 2016

On Thursday 1 December, the seminar on “A Science Diplomacy approach for Belgium?!” brought together experts and practitioners with an interest in science, innovation, international cooperation and diplomacy with a view to discussing existing science diplomacy practices and approaches around the world, and to reflecting on a science diplomacy strategy for Belgium. This event was jointly organised by the Institute for European Studies (IES), the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office (BELSPO), the Department Economie, Wetenschap & Innovatie (EWI) and Wallonia-Brussels International (WBI).

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The following conference material can be consulted on the EL-CSID website: conference booklet, powerpoint presentations and final conference report.

November 22-23, 2016

On 22-23 November, the Department of Politics and International Studies at the University of Warwick organised the Impact Conference 2016. The aim of the conference was to discuss the meaning of "impact" for various disciplines. 

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Two EL-CSID papers were presented at this conference. Diane Stone (UoW) presented a paper (co-authored with Tim Legrand, ANU) on “Science Diplomacy as Evidence-Based Policymaking, while Annamarie Bindenagel Šehović (UoW) addressed “Citizenship and States: Bridging the Gap between Theory and Practice in Health Diplomacy”. 

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Further details on the Conference can be found at: UoW website

November 15, 2016

EL-CSID scientific coordinator Luk Van Langenhove presented his new publication titled "Global Science Diplomacy as a new tool for Global Governance" at FOCIR - the Federation of Internationally Recognised Catalonian Organisations. The publication can be consulted online.

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A summary video of his presentation is also available for consultation here.

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Further information on the organisation can be found on the FOCIR website.

November 14-18, 2016

EL-CSID researcher Ana B. Amaya (UNU-CRIS) delivers a poster presentation on “Learning from the Offspring: Towards a Typology of Health Diplomacy and Science Diplomacy” at the Global Symposium on "Health Systems Research (HSR): Resilient and Responsive Systems for a Changing World". The Symposium is held on 14-18 November in Vancouver, Canada.

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Further information can be found on the HSR2016 website.

November 7, 2016

EL-CSID researcher Uli Schreiterer (WZB) participated in the 11th Berlin Debate on Science and Science Policy organised by the Robert Bosch Stiftung in connection with the annual “Falling Walls Conference”. The topic addressed was “Make Science, not War: The Role of Science Diplomacy in the 21st Century”. Among the 25 participants of the roundtable were the editors-in-chief of Science and Nature, current and former presidents of the ERC Jean-Pierre Bourguignon and Helga Nowotny, and S&T Advisor to the U.S. Secretary of State Vaughan Turekian.

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The Executive Summary of the debate can be consulted at: Robert Bosch Stiftung Website.

October 27-28, 2016

EL-CSID Scientific Coordinator Luk Van Langenhove (IES-VUB) and researcher Abdelhamid El-Zoheiry (EMUNI) participated in the European Research Council (ERC) Conference on “Frontier Research and Science Diplomacy”. Luk took part in the break-out session on "Frontier research as science in diplomacy: peace, democracy and security" and delivered a presentation on “The Culture of Science Diplomacy”, while Abdelhamid participated in the roundtable on "Science Funding and Science Diplomacy: Which role for research organisations now and in the future?". Further information on this event can be found at: ERC website.

October 24, 2016

EL-CSID Scientific Coordinator Luk Van Langenhove took part in the panel on “Towards a Global Science Diplomacy regarding the SDGs” at the UN Day Flanders, hosted by CIFAL Flanders|UNITAR in collaboration with VVN and UNRIC. This event celebrated the 71st anniversary of the United Nations. Further information about the UN Day Flanders can be found at: CIFAL Flanders website. 

October 11, 2016

The second Steering Committee meeting was held at the Institute for European Studies, Brussels. The EL-CSID Steering Committee consists of a representative from each partner institution. Its second meeting was aimed at reflecting on progress to date and at planing future activities. Part of the meeting was attended by the Research Executive Agency (REA) Project Officer in charge of EL-CSID, whom the consortium had an extremely useful exchange with. Signification attention was also paid to the importance of to tapping into potential synergies within and among the various work packages, and interesting avenues for collaboration were identified among the different partners.

October 10, 2016

The EL-CSID Consortium had an excellent first meeting with its Advisory Board yesterday! The function of the advisory board is to oversee the operation of the project, providing independent direction and advice. This meeting gave the opportunity to the EL-CSID consortium to present its progress to date to the advisory board and to benefit from their useful suggestions and insights. The advisory board agreed to oversee the deliverables produced, to provide input and participate in events where possible, and to interact with the consortium. The composition of the advisory board can be consulted here.

September 14, 2016

Dr. Annamarie Bindenagel Šehović, University of Warwick, delivers a presentation on "Health and Human Security: Whose rights, where responsibility?" in the context of the third International Summer School on "Cultures of Security in a Transatlantic and Global Context" organised by Leipzig University.

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Her presentation explores the trajectory of health responses overall and to HIV in particular within the frame of human security. It focuses on the articulation of health rights, the invocation of such nationally and globally. It concludes with an analysis of the shifting allocations of the responsibilities - at individual, state and global levels -  to provide health, as well their interactions. Further information on the Summer School is available online.

September 6, 2016

Prof. Dr. Selin Senocak (Centre d’Etudes Diplomatique et Stratégiques) addresses “Science and Cultural Diplomacy: New Strategy for EU Foreign Policy” at the summer school on “Global Governance and its Application to Technology Policies” today. This summer school is jointly organised by ETH Zurich, the Swiss federal Institute of Technology and the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Zurich.

Further information can be found here.

July 27, 2016

Scientific coordinator Luk Van Langenhove, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, and Professor Abdelhamid El-Zoheiry, Euro-Mediterranean University, attend the EuroScience Open Forum in Manchester this week!

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On Wednesday, EMUNI organises a roundtable addressing “Science diplomacy in a changing world”, which discusses the EU science diplomacy relations with the Mediterranean and the Middle East region. A summary of the roundtable discussion can be found here.

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For regular conference updates, follow @ESOF16 and #ESOF16 on Twitter!

December 1, 2016

The Seminar on “A Science Diplomacy approach for Belgium?” will bring together experts and policy-makers in the field of science diplomacy to compare best science diplomacy practices and to discuss challenges and opportunities in designing science diplomacy strategies. 

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This timely exchange of insights amongst science diplomacy experts and representatives of the various governmental policy entities in Belgium will aim at informing the debate on science diplomacy in Belgium and at contributing to the development of a coherent Belgian approach and enhanced cooperation with international partners.

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The event is jointly organised by BELSPO, the Flemish Department of Economy, Science and Innovation, the Institute for European Studies, Wallonia-Brussels International and the Inter-University Institute for Relations between Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean.

June 30, 2016

EL-CSID researcher Dr. Annamarie Bindenagel Sehovic attended the Conference on "Global Heatlh Security: Focus Africa" in Berlin, Germany.

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She delivered presentations at the roundtable on "The lessons wrought of HIV/AIDS" and at the expert discussion group on "what next for HIV in Africa and Europe?".

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Further information on the event can be consulted online.

June 30, 2016

EL-CSID Scientific Coordinator Luk Van Langenhove attends the RISE High-Level Group meeting on “RISE groups findings in the context of EU R&I Policy and Funding Programmes” on 30 June. He delivers a presentation that addresses “Science Diplomacy tools”.

The "Research, Innovation, and Science Policy Experts" (RISE) High-Level Group was set up by the European Commission to give direct strategic support to the European Commissioner for research, innovation, and science, Carlos Moedas. 

To know more about the RISE Advocacy Group, please consult the RISE webpage.

June 9-10, 2016

EL-CSID Scientific Coordinator Luk Van Langenhove delivers a presentation on “Cultural Diplomacy” at the UNESCO Conference on "Cultural Diversity under Attack: Protecting Heritage for Peace".

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This high-level event is organised in the context of the ongoing attacks on cultural heritage with a view to contemplating ways in which culture can contribute to peacebuilding and recovery. The conference will be opened by Ms Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, Ms Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Mr Geert Bourgeois, Minister-President of the Flemish Government. It will seek to strengthen policy advocacy for better recognition of cultural diversity in strategies for reconstruction and peacebuilding.

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The expert meeting, co-chaired by the UNESCO Assistant-Director General for Culture and a homologue from the European Commission, will deepen policy thinking on the role of culture as a factor for social cohesion and reconciliation in post-conflict recovery. It will develop recommendations to better take into account the cultural dimension and its potential in the work of the humanitarian and security sectors. The results of the discussions will help finalise the Action Plan for the UNESCO Strategy for the protection of cultural heritage and promotion of cultural pluralism.

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Further information on the programme at: UNESCO website

June 6, 2016

EL-CSID researcher Selin Senocak delivers lectures on "European Cultural Diplomacy" and "European Neighbourhood Policy" at the second EU summer school organised at the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy.

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More than 40 participants from Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, India, France, Georgia, Greece, Kuwait, Moldova, Poland, Turkey and Vietnam are attending the summer school to get insights into EU history, EU institutions and member states, EU law, EU foreign policy, etc.

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The summer school programme aims to promote an interactive learning environment through workshops and group discussions. By the end of this programme, participants should have a rich overall understanding of EU processes and the ability to use the acquired skill-set for further professional purposes.

May 12, 2016

The Kick-Off Conference of the EL-CSID project is aimed at presenting the EL-CSID research agenda to the academic and policy communities as well as at gaining insights into the stakeholders’ views and expectations.

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This early discussion provides the EL-CSID consortium with a valuable opportunity to further refine its perspectives on cultural, science and diplomacy and ensure the academic and policy relevance of its agenda. The event is held in the context of the biannual EUIA Conference.

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• Session One - Roundtable Discussion on "European Cultural and Science Diplomacy: Policy Demands and Challenges" - provides room for interaction among the EL-CSID researchers and EU officers and policy-makers.

• Session Two - Academic Panel on "European Cultural and Science Diplomacy: An Agenda for Research" - offers a platform for the EL-CSID researchers to discuss the early steps of their research on cultural and science diplomacy with an academic audience.

The detailed programme of this first dissemination event can be consulted here.

May 5, 2016

EL-CSID Project Manager Léonie Maes delivers a poster presentation on “A Science Diplomacy Agenda for the European Union” at the Science Diplomacy 2016 Conference hosted by the AAAS Centre for Science Diplomacy.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is the world’s largest general scientific society. The Science Diplomacy 2016 Conference covers various aspects of science diplomacy and brings together science diplomacy thinkers and practitioners. Click here to consult the conference programme.

May 4, 2016

EL-CSID Scientific Coordinator Luk Van Langenhove and Senior Research Professor Richard Higgott deliver presentations at the BACES-VUB workshop on “The Chinese approach to public diplomacy: A clash of ideas?”. They respectively address the key topics of “China’s soft power” and “China’s economic diplomacy”.

The Brussels Academy of China and European Studies (BACES) is a new academic platform resulting of a collaboration between Renmin University of China, Fudan University Sichuan University and the VUB.

To consult the workshop programme, click here.

April 28, 2016

EL-CSID Scientific Coordinator Luk Van Langenhove is attending the meeting on Science Diplomacy convened by the RISE High-Level Group.

The "Research, Innovation, and Science Policy Experts" (RISE) High-Level Group was set up by the European Commission to give direct strategic support to the European Commissioner for research, innovation, and science, Carlos Moedas. 

To know more about the RISE Advocacy Group, please consult the RISE webpage.

April 22, 2016

This publication was co-authored by Neil Collins and Kristina Bekenova, both EL-CSID researchers based at Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan.

The article looks at the “New Great Game” as the most widely used metaphor for the geopolitical dynamics of Central Asia. The focus of the article is on Kazakhstan and Europe with particular reference to energy policies.

The full version of the paper can be consulted on the Springer website.

April 12, 2016

As new challenges such as the critical need for a universal sustainable development agenda confront mankind, science and diplomacy are converging as common tools for trouble-shooting. In this context, Science Diplomacy is a new phenomenon involving the role of science in diplomacy.

Click here to consult the blog note. Enjoy reading!

April 8, 2016

EL-CSID Scientific Coordinator Luk Van Langenhove delivers a Seminar presentation at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) in Singapore. 

The seminar introduces Science Diplomacy as a policy and practice that gives a new interpretation to the notion of Soft Power. It outlines the increasing attention devoted to science diplomacy by the EU in its ambition to be a regional and global actor. It also addresses the place and role of science diplomacy in the inter-regional context of the Asia-Europe Meetings (ASEM) through a case-study.

March 7-8, 2016

On 7-8 March, the first meeting of the steering committee was organised at the Institute for European Studies (IES) at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB).

The meeting brought together the members of the consortium to discuss the EL-CSID research agenda, work plan, output and activities.

Two representatives from the European Commission (DG RTD and REA) briefed the consortium on the H2020 programme priorities and the project management-aspects.