In February 2024, the Council of Canadian Academies (CCA) released an expert panel report on Canada’s STIK partnerships around the world. Navigating Collaborative Futures is an exploration of the evidence surrounding Canada’s global linkages with research, innovation, and knowledge, and offers commentary on how the country can better position itself in the current geopolitically charged arena. It is a wide-ranging report that tackles several key lacunae in the country’s approach to science, knowledge, and statecraft. One of the issues addressed in the report is how science in diplomacy can be an effective tool for enhanced global collaboration—a much-discussed issue that has led to several key initiatives around the world, including in several cities, such as Tshwane, Geneva, and Barcelona, not to mention through an on-line journal produced by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
In Canada, efforts to explore a more activist science diplomacy position within the federal trade service have been spotty. For instance, Canada’s foreign affairs department used to deploy dedicated science attaches or counsellors. While the Canadian Foreign Service Institute has undertaken some special courses in this area over the years, little has been institutionalized within the government as a whole.
At times, attention has been given to having a chief science advisor in foreign affairs departments, and indeed, under the umbrella of a Foreign Ministries Science and Technology Advice Network, science advisors to state departments from over 30 countries have been meeting over the past decade or so.
In 2005, as part of his efforts to augment the science advisory capacity in several Canadian departments and agencies, then National Science Advisor to the Prime Minister, Dr Arthur Carty, put forward a proposal for a chief science advisor at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (today Global Affairs Canada). The Chief Scientist proposal was developed to:
- help the department with sound advice on international science issues;
- develop a stronger S&T and knowledge capacity within the department;
- build a knowledge network of linkages to key resources to enable foreign affairs and trade officials to identify Canada’s strengths, expertise, and international partnerships;
- lead in the development of international S&T strategy for the department;
- serve as a member of the then National Science Advisors Committee of chief scientists;
- keep a watching brief on emerging international issues and challenges; and
- create stronger linkages between the department and the external S&T and knowledge community to bring their issues and interests on international S&T to the department.
The initiative provided a wider lens where Canada could improve its global presence through S&T linkages. In short, the idea was aimed at ensuring that Canada’s domestic S&T approach would be better aligned with its international diplomatic, trade, and development presence globally—an ‘intermestic’ strategy. The idea did not take hold.
Fast forward to 2024. Another Liberal administration has attempted to re-brand or re-imagine its foreign, trade, and development policies. A feminist international development policy is in place; an Arctic and Northern policy framework has been developed; various reviews of Canada’s partnerships with the Indo-Pacific and African regions have been put forth; and a Chief Science Advisor, Dr Mona Nemer, is working with government counterparts to help develop a capacity for science advice and diplomacy across the federal apparatus, while Canada’s role globally is undergoing yet another rethink, animated in part by the recent CCA expert panel report on Canada’s international science, technology, innovation, and knowledge partnerships.
Science and sound knowledge as diplomatic tools can be truly effective global and collaborative ventures. But it takes leadership and sustained commitment for this to happen. It may well be time for Canada to step up and readjust its international commerce and foreign policy compass to integrate science more fully into the mix. With more than 400 international science and technology arrangements identified by federal departments and agencies, not to mention the considerable number of university and provincial bilateral arrangements with other countries, Canada should be better placed to use science and technology, as well as its well-trained talent, as strategic tools in diplomacy. Indeed, as one step in this direction, the University of Ottawa has sent out a call for a research chair in science diplomacy.
Science and research can prepare the ground for diplomatic initiatives, and benefit from diplomatic agreements, but they cannot provide the solutions to either. As a tool of foreign policy, science is limited in its ability to directly affect domestic and global outcomes. The diplomatic community has its own set of responsibilities. Statecraft and science are intertwined and to be sure, leadership and dialogue must come together in a meaningful way—not just through the usual formal diplomatic avenues. But more and more, this is an intergenerational issue mobilizing regional efforts, local communities, youth, women, and non-state actors. They are filling the space. Canada’s former Governor General pointedly argued:
"Practicing the diplomacy of knowledge means recognizing that we are stronger when we work and learn together. Competition is vital and necessary, and diversity is essential to maintaining our resilience, but we must always keep in mind...the basic principle of the Enlightenment: knowledge is meant to be shared."