FECYT collaborates in creating the first European science diplomacy online course

The Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT), as part of the H2020-funded consortium “Using Science For/In Diplomacy for Addressing Global Challenges (S4D4C)”, has collaborated in the creation of the first European science diplomacy online course.

FECYT has designed four out of the eight training modules, these contain teaching content up-to-date, interviews with national and international experts, brainstorming questions, and self-assessment exercises. All the material is in English.

Concretely, the course covers a theoretical and academic conceptualization of science diplomacy; the array of stakeholders and networks involved; it also analyses the European Union ecosystem; it deals with different national, regional and thematic approaches; it offers information about the required skills and knowledges to work in this field and it explains the role of science diplomacy through different case studies such as infectious disease, open science, food security or the large infrastructure in Jordan: SESAME.

The course is free of charge and lasts for approximately 15 hours. It is conceived for diplomats and scientists, who want to expand their knowledges and specialize their professional careers into this field; science counsellors and attachés at embassies; government officials in charge of these competences in different ministries; and even Masters’ or Bachelors’ Degree student who may be interested in the topic.

The S4D4C consortium will organize an introductory webinar to this online course through the GotoWebinar platform on 30th June and 2nd July.

About S4D4C    
The European consortium “Using science for/in diplomacy for addressing global challenges” (S4D4C) is to support current and future European science diplomacy for the benefit of European capacities, EU foreign policy goals and especially the development of solutions for global challenges. The consortium aims to carry out empirical research and nurture a lively European science diplomacy community through the organisation of networking meetings, workshops, online courses and publication of policy reports and briefs that trigger public and policy discussion in the EU, Member states and interested institutions. S4D4C involves up to 10 European institutions among which FECYT is present. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 770342.