‘Science Diplomacy,’ Partnerships Across Political Borders Critical To Detecting, Stopping Emerging Threats

Scientific American: Science Diplomacy Is More Vital Than Ever
Scientific American Editors

“…In recent years the U.S. has taken some crucial steps to strengthen our science diplomacy [including the establishment of the U.S. Science Envoy program] … Yet the future of the envoy program under President Donald Trump remains unclear. … That is unfortunate because better science — and dialogue about science — benefits us all. Detecting and stopping emerging threats such as Zika or Ebola require partnering with countries around the globe. Understanding the extent of Zika damage and testing candidate vaccines among susceptible populations, for instance, will call for international cooperation. … Let’s resist the urge to turn inward and isolate ourselves. Instead we must continue to forge strong ties worldwide, using science as a diplomatic wedge. We gain far more from these partnerships than we risk. Weakening them will hurt us all” (June 2017).

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