Spring Science Diplomacy Course at NYU

Check out the Science Diplomacy course for the Spring Semester at NYU. It was supposed to kick off today, February 9th at 6PM, but unfortunately, weather has led to a cancellation of tonight's talk.

Register for the class here.

The first talk was supposed to be "Bringing Cancer Research to the Developing World" with Nobel Laureate Dr. Harold Varmus, co-sponsored by the NYU Leadership Initiative, NYU Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, and NYU STEP. However, due to inclement weather, tonight's event is cancelled. We hope to have it rescheduled for a later date.

For the course syllabus, read on.

Syllabus for Science Diplomacy: The Role of Science in International Relations and Global Development

Course Director: Christine Ponder, PhD, Director, NYU Office of Postdoctoral Affairs

Organizers: Brent Wells PhD and Ursula Koniges

Thursday 6 pm -7:30 pm

February 9th to March 30st

NYU Silver Building 31 Washington Place, Room 1003

This course will introduce the role of scientists, science, and technology in international diplomatic affairs. A series of science diplomacy experts will provide a framework of science diplomacy, its various sectors, participating agencies, challenges, its future and potential for action. Participants will gain an understanding of the skills (analytical, ethical) to apply science in a diplomatic/international framework through a group-based case study. The course will emphasize four primary themes: science diplomacy through government, science diplomacy through academia, science diplomacy through institutions, and science diplomacy through media.

Assignment: With a small group (2-4), identify a diplomacy issue in which science plays a significant role and write a memo that identifies a need or problem and suggests how scientists could address the issue. The memo should be no more than 2 pages. Due 3/30/17

Schedule

2/9/17 Harold Varmus, Ph.D. – ‘89 Nobel Prize in Medicine, Former NIH, NCI Director

Title: Bringing Cancer Research to the Developing World

Theme: Science Diplomacy through Academia

More Information:

https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1989/varmus-bio.html

http://www.varmuslab.org/

2/16/17 Lauren Barredo – U.N. Sustainable Development Solutions Network, Head of Partnerships

Title: From Smithsonian Scientist to Sustainable Development Goals

Theme: Science Diplomacy through Institutions & Government

More Information:

http://unsdsn.org/about-us/people/lauren-barredo/

http://unsdsn.org/

2/23/17 Gavin Schmidt, Ph.D. – Director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York

Title: Climate Change – A NASA Perspective on Scientific Consensus & International Policy

Theme: Science Diplomacy through Government & Academia

More Information:

https://www.giss.nasa.gov/staff/gschmidt/

https://www.giss.nasa.gov

3/2/17 Stephen Hall – Science Journalist, Book Author and Adjunct Professor of Journalism, NYU

Title: Science Communication as a tool for Science Diplomacy

Theme: Communications as a Science Diplomacy Tool

More Information:

http://journalism.nyu.edu/about-us/profile/stephen-s-hall/

http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/12/how-scientists-are-learning-to-write/383685/

3/9/17 Yaihara Fortis-Santiago, Ph.D. – NYAS Science Alliance Director

Title: Diplomacy Initiatives and Training in Scientific Institutions: A NYAS & AAAS Perspective

Theme: Science Diplomacy through Institutions & Government

More Information:

http://www.nyas.org/AboutUs/WhoWeAre/FortisSantiago.aspx

http://www.nyas.org/WhatWeDo/ScienceAlliance.aspx

3/16/17 William Colglazier, Ph.D. – Science Diplomacy AAAS, Editor-in-Chief

Title: The Role of the Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, and Humanities in Advising Governments, Advancing Diplomacy, and Achieving Sustainable Development

Theme: Science Diplomacy through Government

More Information: Science Diplomacy in Government

http://www.sciencediplomacy.org/about

https://www.aaas.org/person/e-william-colglazier

3/23/17 Katepalli Sreenivasan, Ph.D. – NYU School of Engineering Dean, 2009 Science Diplomacy Award Laureate

Title: How International Scientific Institutions Foster Goodwill

Theme: Science Diplomacy through Institutions

More information:

https://www.aaas.org/page/aaas-award-science-diplomacy-recipients

http://engineering.nyu.edu/people/katepalli-r-sreenivasan

3/30/17 Boyana Konforti, Ph.D., – Simons Foundation, Director of Education & Outreach

Title: TBD

Theme: Science Diplomacy through Institutions

More Information:

https://www.simonsfoundation.org/features/foundation-news/boyana-konforti-named-director-of-education-outreach/

https://www.simonsfoundation.org

Suggested Reading Material

Science Policy Through Government

·         Medical Research Centers in Mali and Uganda
http://www.sciencediplomacy.org/article/2013/making-pepfar

·         Making PEPFAR
http://www.sciencediplomacy.org/article/2014/medical-research-centers-in-mali-and-uganda

·         Congressional Research Service: Science and Technology Policymaking - A Primer:
http://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL34454.pdf

·         The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ostp

·         U.S. Department of State, Science Diplomacy and Twenty-First Century Statecraft:
http://www.state.gov/e/rls/rmk/2012/182545.htm; Remarks on Science and Diplomacy in the 21st Century

·         The United Nations Science and Sustainable Development Goals:
Summary of the Expert Group Meeting
http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/1722Summary%20of%20EG M%20on%20SDGs.pdf

·         United Nations Economic and Social Council: Science, technology and innovation:
http://www.un.org/en/ecosoc/about/science.shtml
http://www.un.org/en/ecosoc/docs/adv2013/13_amr_sg_report.pdf

·         The United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network:
http://unsdsn.org/

·         Science Magazine: Time for a New Era of Science Diplomacy:
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/315/5813/769.summary

Science Policy Through Institutions

·         Science & Diplomacy: A publication from the AAAS Center for Science Diplomacy:
http://www.sciencediplomacy.org/

·         The Royal Society, AAAS:
http://www.aaas.org/sites/default/files/New_Frontiers.pdf

·         International Brain Research Organization:
http://ibro.info/programmes/global-advocacy-program

Science Policy Through Media

·         The Return of Scientific Diplomacy - The Atlantic:
http://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2015/09/science-diplomacy/407455/

·         How I Became a Science Diplomat - Slate:
http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2015/10/how_i_became_a_sci ence_diplomat.html

·         Science diplomacy at the intersection of S&T policies and foreign affairs
(Science and Public Policy, Oxford Journals)
http://spp.oxfordjournals.org/content/37/9/665.full.pdf

·         Science Diplomacy in the 21st Century:
(Cell Press)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S009286740801636X

·         Global Health and Foreign Policy:
http://epirev.oxfordjournals.org/content/32/1/82.abstract

·         Science Magazine: Global Collaboration:
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/346/6205/47.short

Science Policy Through Academia

·         Science Diplomacy and the Role of Academic Institutions
http://president.yorku.ca/files/2014/01/Science-Diplomacy-and-the-Role-of-Academic- Institutions-May-12-2016.pdf

·         Science & Diplomacy: The Role of Academia
(World Academy of Art and Science - WAAS)
http://twas.org/sites/default/files/attachments/scidipl_flyer_slaus.pdf