Prof. Rafael Mesquita attended the Science Diplomacy Week in Geneva from May 8 to 12. Participating on behalf of the Data Diplomacy Project, he went through a five-day immersion in the subjects of science, diplomacy, and their intersection. The Week was offered by the Geneva Science Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA) in partnership with 17 other entities, including the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR, Geneva Headquarters), the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the Geneva Graduate Institute, and others.
The program had a total of 30 enrolled students from 25 countries. Prof. Rafael was one of two Brazilian attendees and his participation was made possible through a full scholarship by GESDA. Scientists, members of parliament, public policy analysts, and diplomats were also part of the program’s cohort.
The Immersion Week comprised seminars, workshops, and visits to international organizations and innovation centers located in Geneva.
The seminars were taught by academics, representatives of multilateral organizations, and members of the Swiss foreign service. They covered topics at the intersection of science and diplomacy, such as scholarly communication, ethical and security implications of emerging technologies in the fields of medicine and national defense, use of computational methods in diplomatic work, international cooperation in technology, climate change, and others.
Some of the organizations that the group visited were the Palais des Nations - headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva -, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the University of Geneva, and the facilities of the European Council for Nuclear Research (CERN).
For an overview of all activities, visit the GESDA website.
Introduction to Science Anticipation (GESDA) |
Spanning the boundaries between science and global policy (Geneva Science-Policy Interface, GSPI) |
Presentation of WMO’s Global Greenhouse Watch (G3W) initiative |
Navigating the Neurotech Compass – Simulation Game (International Network for Government Science Advice) |
Computational diplomacy in practice: exploring UN General assembly’s resolutions over time (SiDLab) |
The militarisation of emerging technologies: Simulation of UN GGE Discussions on Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems (Geneva Centre for Security Policy, GCSP) |
Lunch with Amb. Thomas Greminger, Director GCSP |
Emerging technologies: What opportunities for International Security? (GCSP) |
Negotiation engineering (SiDlab, ETHZ, UNIGE) |
Science, Peacetech and Diplomacy (EPFL EssentialTech, Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, International Red Cross) |
Science Diplomacy at CERN |
Exploring Tech Diplomacy Practices and Skills |
Relationship between Science and Parliaments - Lessons from CERN-IPU Science for Peace School |
Meet the Leader session: lessons in science diplomacy from an Ambassador’s perspective (Amb. Alexandre Fasel, Switzerland) |
Reviving the Human Right to Science (UNESCO, OHCHR) |
SDGs Workshop (UNITAR) |
Technology and Diplomacy: The rise of multilateralism in the Bay Area & Lessons for the Geneva Ecosystem (DiploFoundation) |