Bridging Pragmatism and Idealism: HSE University Held a Series of International Seminars on Science Diplomacy
This academic year, HSE University initiated the international online seminar series “The Dynamics of Science Diplomacy: Bridging Pragmatism and Idealism”, dedicated to the role of science in international cooperation, global development, and dialogue between countries amid technological, economic, and geopolitical challenges.
The series was organized by the Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge (ISSEK), HSE University, together with the UNESCO Chair in Science Diplomacy and Scientific Heritage at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). The project coordinators are Dr. Irek Suleymanov, Associate Professor at ISSEK, HSE University, and Parsifal F. Islas Morales, General Coordinator of the UNESCO Chair in Science Diplomacy and Scientific Heritage at UNAM.
The main aim of the seminar series was to create an international platform for discussing research in the field of science diplomacy and to support early-career scholars working on academic papers, Master’s theses, and doctoral dissertations. Throughout the academic year, participants explored science diplomacy as a space between pragmatism and idealism: on the one hand, a field shaped by strategic interests and international politics; on the other, a tool for building trust, exchanging knowledge, and addressing shared global challenges.
Across four sessions, the seminars addressed the conceptual foundations of science diplomacy, issues of global scientific dialogue, cooperation among countries of the Global South, the role of BRICS, the activities of international organizations, scientific and technological cooperation, and historical practices of knowledge exchange.
The series featured keynote presentations by leading international experts, including
Professor Ana María Cetto
President of the UNESCO Open Science Steering Committee and President of the UNESCO Chair in Science Diplomacy and Scientific Heritage
Professor Karen Hallberg
Secretary General of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, an organization that was a co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize
Dr. Gabriela Ferreira
researcher at the University of São Paulo
Dr. Xing Jijun
Chairman of the International Cooperation and S&T Diplomacy Sub-commission of the Chinese Association of Science of Science and S&T Policy Research
Professor Ana María Cetto emphasized the importance of the initiative, calling it “a unique space where voices from academic communities converge to critically examine the role and scope of science diplomacy in history and the present day,” and encouraging the organizers to “build on its early success.”
Professor Karen Hallberg noted that “emerging technologies that transcend national borders” require “coordinated global action rooted in science and technology.” She also underlined that existential challenges — from nuclear risks and climate change to biodiversity loss, pandemics, and environmental degradation — demand diplomatic, interdisciplinary, and collective responses.
Particular attention was paid to the involvement of young researchers. Master’s students, doctoral students, and early-career scholars from HSE University, UNAM, and other universities presented their research on various aspects of science diplomacy: regional aspects in Latin America, the environmental dimension of science diplomacy, international scientific organizations as science-diplomacy actors, and historical forms of knowledge exchange. Dr. Irek Suleymanov noted:
Science diplomacy is that very surface that connects the national and international, competition and cooperation, international relations and pure science. Like the surface of water, it is hard to say whether it belongs to the world of science or to the realm of politics. Its genuine task is to connect these different spaces
The seminar participants noted that science diplomacy today is not limited to academic exchange or declarations of cooperation; it has become a visible component of international relations and policy, strategic planning, institutional design, and international engagement. At the same time, the discussions showed that pragmatism and idealism should not be treated as opposites. Rather, they form a productive tension that helps science diplomacy respond to global risks and contribute to more inclusive systems of knowledge.
Dr. Gabriela Ferreira highlighted this point by noting that science diplomacy should not treat “pragmatism and idealism as opposing forces, but as complementary dimensions.” In her view, combining anticipatory thinking with the ability to build trust, connect knowledge systems, and create institutional arrangements for collaboration can help societies “navigate uncertainty while shaping more desirable futures.”
The seminars brought together experts and young researchers connected with academic and expert communities in Russia, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, China, Qatar, Pakistan, and other countries. Representatives of expert circles related to BRICS, the Global South, and South-South cooperation also took part in the project.
Victoria Ramos Gonzales, a Master’s student in the International Management Master’s programme at HSE Graduate School of Business, emphasized that the seminar’s conceptual framework “provided the conceptual clarity needed to analyze how regional actors navigate between goals and practical constraints.” She also suggested that future discussions could further explore how science diplomacy can support South-South cooperation and development-focused research agendas.
The final seminar of the academic year addressed international organizations, bilateral cooperation, changing governance mechanisms, and the historical legacy of knowledge exchange. Reflecting on the series, Dr. Xing Jijun noted the “enormous positive impact of international cooperation in scientific and technological innovation on global development” and called for leveraging “the role of diplomacy in the scientific and technological field to promote development.”
Participants highly appreciated the format of international interdisciplinary dialogue and expressed strong support for continuing the initiative in the next academic year. In their view, such seminars help young researchers present their ideas to an international audience, receive expert feedback, compare regional approaches, and become part of a professional community of future science diplomacy specialists.
Grigorii Pruttskov, a Master’s student in the Science, Technology and Innovation Management Master’s programme at ISSEK, HSE University, described his participation as “an interesting and rewarding experience” that allowed him “to look at science diplomacy from different research and practical perspectives.” He also noted that future sessions could devote more attention to comparative analysis of how science diplomacy is implemented in different regions of the world and across scientific fields.
Reflecting on the series, Dr. Parsifal F. Islas Morales described it as “a pioneering collaboration to bring back a critical perspective on the pivotal role of science and technology in the shape of current geopolitics.” He emphasized that the seminars brought together experts representing “the epistemic South of the world.” In his view, awareness of “science’s ethical and geopolitical dimension” is essential for “building a truly open science in a peaceful world.”
The seminar series “The Dynamics of Science Diplomacy: Bridging Pragmatism and Idealism” has become an important step toward strengthening international academic cooperation and creating a sustainable platform for discussing how science can contribute to collaboration, development, and responsible dialogue between countries.
