The Role of “Science Diplomacy” at the U.S. Department of State

Dr. E. William ColglazierScience and Technology Adviser to the U.S.

Secretary of StateMay 21, 2014

Science Diplomacy

• Science and technology aiding, informing, and advancing diplomatic goals

• Diplomacy advancing the U.S. (and global) science and technology enterprise

• Science and technology helping to solve critical national, regional and global challenges to make all societies more secure, peaceful, stable, and prosperous

History of Science at State

• Science Advisor position at State Department from Truman to Kennedy Administrations

• Combined with other offices (peaceful uses of space and nuclear) to become OES Bureau

• National Academy of Sciences study in 1999 recommended S&T Adviser to the Secretary

• New National Academy of Sciences study will be issued in 2014

Joint Strategic PlanState Department & USAID FY 2014-17

• Strengthen America’s Economic Reach and Positive Economic Impact

• Strengthen America’s Foreign Policy Impact on Our Strategic Challenges

• Promote the Transition to a Low-Emission, Climate-Resilient World while Expanding Global Access to Sustainable Energy

• Protect Core U.S. Interests by Advancing Diplomacy and Human Rights and Strengthening Civil Society

• Modernize the Way We Do Diplomacy and Develoment

E Family at State

• Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and Environment (E)

• Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES)

• Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs (EB)• Bureau of Energy Resources (ENR)• Office of the Science and Technology Adviser to

the Secretary (STAS)• Office of the Chief Economist

STAS Priorities in Science Diplomacy

• Promote Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) to Support Economic Growth

• Enhance Scientific Capacity in the Department• Build Effective Public-Private STI Partnerships• Empower Women through Science• Track Emerging Scientific Trends and

Transformational Technologies for Better Long-Term Decision-Making

Most Popular Topic in All My Diplomatic Engagements

• How Science and Technology Can Stimulate Innovation and Economic Development

• Every Country has Ambitious Plans to Compete on a World-Class Level

• Willing to Modify Policies and Investments to Build a Knowledge-Based Society and Innovative Nation

• Fundamental Pillars are Well-Known, but High Quality “Bottom Up” Innovative Ecosystem Challenging to Implement and Sustain

Building a Knowledge-Based Society

• Strengthen Educational Systems from Grade School to Graduate School

• Provide More Support for Students Pursuing STEM Careers

• Provide More Support for (and Link) Research and Development in Universities, National Laboratories, and Private Companies

• Strengthen Government Policies and Investments to Facilitate Bottoms-Up Innovative Ecosystem and Compete in Global Innovation Environment

“S&T Strategies of Six Countries”

• U.S. National Academies Study requested by U.S. Government (2010)

• Assessed Indicators to Help Predict Which Countries Might Be Most Successful

• Emphasized Surprisingly the Role of Culture• Every Country has Aspects of its Culture that Can

Stimulate or Retard Innovation• Most Successful Countries Are Likely Those

Willing to Make Cultural Changes and Reforms

Lessons for the U.S.

• U.S. National Academies Study “Rising to the Challenge: U.S. Innovation Policy for the Global Economy” (2012)

• Assessed Innovation Policies from Other Countries to Recommend What the U.S. Needs To Do to Remain World Leader in STI

• Provides Excellent Overview of U.S. Innovation Ecosystem

• Assesses Its Strengths and Weaknesses and Changes U.S. Policy-Makers Should Consider

“Global Trends 2030” (2012)

• Unclassified Study Produced Every Four Years by U.S. Intelligence Agencies with Input from Many Countries

• Examines Megatrends, Game Changers, and Potential Worlds out to 2030

• Biggest Megatrend: Individual Empowerment Accelerated by IT Revolution and Other Tectonic Shifts

• Growth of Global Middle Class with Drop in Poverty and Rapid Urbanization

• Widespread Exploitation of New Enabling Technologies that are Transformational and Disruptive

“Global Trends 2030” (continued)

• Demand for Sociopolitical Change by the Growing Middle Class

• Shift of Economic Power to East and South• Unprecedented and Widespread Aging• Food and Water Pressures• Impact of New Energy Technologies (Including

Unconventional Oil and Gas)• Impact of Climate Change

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

• Effort Underway at UN to Produce SDGs for World’s Post-2015 Development Agenda

• Will Be Negotiated by Governments in 2014/15

• Possible Guidance from Report of High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons (2013)

• Illustrative Set of 12 Universal Goals and National Targets and Metrics

Illustrative SDGs

• End Poverty• Empower Girls and Women and Achieve Gender

Equity• Provide Quality Education and Lifelong Learning• Ensure Healthy Lives• Ensure Food Security and Good Nutrition• Achieve Universal Access to Water and

Sanitation

Illustrative SDGs (continued)

• Secure Sustainable Energy• Create Jobs, Sustainable Livelihoods, and Equitable

Growth• Manage Natural Resource Assets Sustainably• Ensure Good Governance and Effective Institutions• Ensure Stable and Peaceful Societies• Create a Global Enabling Environment and

Catalyze Long-Term Finance

My Personal View

• Our Greatest Legacy to Future Generations, in Addition to Avoiding Wars and Conflicts and Solving Current Global Challenges, is Building Knowledge-Based Societies and Accelerating Expansion of Scientific Knowledge and Useful Technologies

• Key is Building Creative STI Human Capacity and Creative STI Institutional Capacity (government, universities, companies, NGO’s, foundations, professional societies, public-private partnerships) in the U.S. and Other Countries

How Do We Get There#1: Build Creative Human Capacity

• Invest in education and fundamental research as well as applied research and development

• Emphasize STEM and ICT as critical levers for economic growth and entrepreneurship; for addressing gender gaps in education, income, and leadership; and for advancing evidence-based decision-making

• Expand job opportunities for everyone and remove barriers that impede women’s ability to participate fully in the innovation economy

How Do We Get There (cont.)#2:Build Creative Institutional Capacity

• Government (e.g., USAID Global Development Lab, PEPFAR)

• Universities (HESN)• Companies (Intel in Vietnam)• NGO’s and Private Foundations (e.g. Gates,

HHMI, Moore)• Science and Engineering Professional Societies• Public Private Partnerships

Critical Role of Universities and National Laboratories

• Educating the Next Generation, Carrying Out Fundamental Research, and Producing New Ideas and Innovations with Commercial Potential

• Conducting Research at Universities is Essential to Building High-Quality Education Programs

• Universities Must Recruit and Mentor Faculty Who Can Conduct Cutting-Edge Research with Involvement of Their Students

Critical Role of Universities and National Laboratories (continued)

• Linking Education and Research is Best Way to Encourage Creativity in Students and Bring Forth New Ideas and Discoveries

• Faculty and Students with Good Ideas with Commercial Potential Should Be Permitted to Explore Entrepreneurship and Startups

• Science and Engineering Research Centers Focusing on Multi-Disciplinary, Emerging Fields Have Been Especially Creative

Role of Private Sector in R&D and the Innovative Ecosystem

• Its Importance in U.S. Cannot Be Overestimated (70% of Funding for R&D in U.S.)

• Big Challenge for Emerging Economies is Stimulating More R&D in Private Companies and Encouraging Their Relationships with Universities

• Listening to Private Sector Views about Problems and Challenges is Very Informative

• Governments Must Provide Stable Policies (e.g. IPR) for Private Sector to Assess Risks and Plan Long-Term Investments Appropriately

Importance of International STI Collaboration

• Essential to Address Challenges Facing Our Countries and the World

• Needed in Research and Development, especially in Pre-Competitive Fundamental Research

• Staying at the Cutting-Edge Requires Engaging with Best Scientific and Engineering Minds and Facilities Everywhere

Critical Importance to the U.S. of International STI Collaboration

• Every Country Wants to Collaborate with the U.S. STI Enterprise (Our Universities, Companies, Government Agencies, etc.)

• U.S. Can Influence their Behavior, Investments, Policies, and Regulations

• Other Counties Becoming Highly Capable in STI Helps Build More Stable and Prosperous Societies

• Now Ever More Important for the U.S. to Collaborate to Remain the Leader

• Our National Strategy Must Be to Embrace International STI Collaboration

Innovation at State Goals

• Work with other countries to advance policies that support innovation and economic growth worldwide

• Support international collaboration on science and innovation and increase cultural exchange

• Build a broad portfolio of innovation-related policies, programs, and partnerships that will harness technology to solve greatest global challenges

Examples• US-Mexico Entrepreneurship and Innovation Council• STEM-themed American Corners engaging visitors in STI

throughout the world• LAUNCH partnership of State, USAID, NASA, and Nike• Fullbright Program• Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST)

Program• Networks of Diasporas in Engineering and Science (NODES)• USAID Global Development Lab• International Visitor Leadership Programs (IVLP)

Women in STEM ProgramsTo Close the Gender Gap

• TechGirls (15-17 yr olds from NEA region in 3-week STEM exchange programs)

• NeXXt Scholars (women from Muslim-majority countries getting STEM degrees at US womens’ colleges)

• TechWomen (emerging female STEM leaders from Africa and Middle East linked to Silicon Valley professionals)

Women in STEM Programs (cont.)

• POWWER (public-private partnership to support early-career women water scientists and engineers)

• wPOWWER (empowering clean-energy women entrepreneurs across East Africa, Nigeria, India)

• WeTech (partnership with Clinton Global Initiative and US IT companies to advance women and girls in tech careers in India and Africa)

• mWomen (public-private partnership to reduce gender gap in access to mobile technology)

Science Diplomacy

• Some of the Most Important “Science Diplomacy” Contributions Come from Non-Governmental Scientists and Institutions

• Every Country Needs to Seek the Independent, Objective Advice of its Non-Governmental Scientific Community

• Values and Ethics that Come from Doing Science Are Congruent with Values that Support Democratic Governance

President Obama’s Advice

“The first step in winning the future is encouraging American innovation. None of us can predict with certainty what the next big industry will be or where the new jobs will come from. Thirty years ago, we couldn’t know that something called the Internet would lead to an economic revolution. What we can do – what America does better than anyone else – is spark the creativity and imagination of our people.”

Richard Feynman

George Brown

Paul Doty and Pief Panofsky

F. Sherwood Rowland

Bruce Alberts