Second online seminar “The Dynamics of Science Diplomacy: Bridging Pragmatism and Idealism”

The second session of the science diplomacy seminar series, which began this fall, will feature presentations by Professor Karen Hallberg, Secretary-General of the Pugwash Conference of Scientists (1995 Nobel Peace Prize co-laureate), and Dr. Parsifal Islas-Morales, General Coordinator of the UNESCO Chair in Science Diplomacy and Scientific Heritage at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). In addition, Ernesto Carmona, a PhD student at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), will present the results of his research.

The main goal of this new platform is to develop an active international community of young researchers in the field of science diplomacy. The seminar brings together recognized experts and students interested in science diplomacy, including those already working on research articles, theses, or dissertations. Through dialogue with experts, participants will receive structured feedback and engage in meaningful interdisciplinary discussions on current topics in the field of science diplomacy.

Seminar coordinators

Dr. Irek Suleymanov,
Associate Professor at the Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge (ISSEK)

Dr. Suleymanov is a Russian expert on science diplomacy and international cooperation in Science and Technology, and the author of the course "Building Bridges: An Introduction to Science Diplomacy" at the HSE University. Dr. Suleymanov's professional background includes both Russian and international institutions, including the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, the German Embassy in Moscow, the German-Russian Forum, and Ulyanovsk State Pedagogical University. Irek Suleymanov has participated in several international projects in the field of science diplomacy.

Dr. Parsifal Islas-Morales,
General Coordinator of the UNESCO Chair in Science Diplomacy and Scientific Heritage

Dr. Parsifal Islas-Morales is the General Coordinator of the UNESCO Chair in Science Diplomacy and Scientific Heritage, a pioneering group in introducing a critical vision of science diplomacy in Latin America and promoting scientific heritage policies at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). His major contribution to the biological sciences is the discovery of the nucleolus in prokaryotes in 2022. He served as Director General of Cooperation for the Mexican state of Hidalgo, coordinating its participation in EXPO Dubai. Dr. Islas has been an international speaker and has been awarded the Mexican National Youth Prize, the Castaños-Lomnitz Medal, the Sanofi-Pasteur Award and the "Jugend Forscht" Science Prize of Saxony, Germany.

Second Session Details

Date: December 10, 2025

Time: 17:00 – 21:00

Format: Online (zoom link will be sent after registration)

Language: English

Register here

 

Opening remarks: Dr. Irek Suleymanov, co- coordinator of the seminar series, Associate Professor (ISSEK) at HSE University

Keynote: Professor Karen Hallberg, Secretary General of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs

Expert presentation: Dr. Parsifal Islas-Morales, General Coordinator of the UNESCO Chair on Science Diplomacy and Scientific Heritage at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) on “Utopianism in Science Diplomacy: A Critical Review of Its Origins”

Research presentation: Ernesto Carmona, PhD student at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) on "A Geopolitical Panorama of Environmental Science Diplomacy"

Professor Karen Hallberg,
Secretary General of the Pugwash Conferences for Science and World Affairs

Professor Karen Hallberg is the Secretary General of the Pugwash Conferences for Science and World Affairs, co-recipient of the 1995 Nobel Peace Prize for its mission to “diminish the part played by nuclear arms in international politics and, in the longer run, to eliminate such arms”. An Argentine physicist, Hallberg works at the Bariloche Atomic Center and the Balseiro Institute. She was awarded the 2019 L’Oreal-UNESCO International Award for Women in Science. She holds two honorary doctorates and is a corresponding member of the Argentine Academy for Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences, a member of the Latin American Academy of Sciences, a board member and International Councilor of the American Physical Society, and a member of the World Economic Forum Global Future Council on the Future of Quantum Economy. Hallberg is committed to bring scientific insight to meet the challenges posed by global nuclear dangers, regional conflicts, disruptive technologies, chemical and biological weapons, including all those matters at the intersection of science and society.