Are we – as scientists – pushing ourselves enough to really bring about fundamental change?

by Jan Palmowski

This panel started with the premise of the international rules-based order and how we can use this to do science diplomacy better. But Mark Carney, as he reminded us in Davos, said that, in truth, this international rules-based order was also deeply imperfect. And so, if we think about that extended dimension—about how we can use science diplomacy to make what we do better—my question would be to the policymaker, Nela Riehl.

I love the way you highlighted Erasmus+, and I completely agree with you. But we’re dealing with a Commission that completely disregards its own fifth pillar of the Global Gateway, which is about research and education. So, how can we really help them? How can we urge them to do this differently?

And for us scientists, are we pushing ourselves enough to really bring about fundamental change? You mentioned the Middle East and Africa in terms of research infrastructures, but frankly – the power of research infrastructures is in the Global North. And when we think about technology infrastructures and the AI factories that are being built everywhere, they are all in the Global North. So, how can we really push ourselves to use this conversation to bring about change?

Nela Riehl: Difficult question. Thank you very much, because I’m always dealing with this in the Commission, of course. I really ask you to engage with the Commission, and also to engage within the Parliament with other political groups, and to really illustrate how important this is. Of course, they hear my voice, but if they hear your voice as the experts on the ground, they tend to trust you more than other political groups.

I think it’s really important that you engage, and engage, and engage again and again, even if you have the feeling that it doesn’t lead anywhere. But still, be there, be loud, and say it again and again. I think that’s the only way right now.

Disappointingly, in the State of the Union speech two weeks ago, these topics weren’t even touched upon. Erasmus was mentioned as a nice anecdote, but I do think that this sets the scene for where we are right now. So, you need to be vocal on that, and here I count on you. We are just allies in this!

Jan Palmowski

Jan Palmowski has been Secretary-General of The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities since its creation in 2016. A contemporary historian, he started his career at the University of Oxford before moving to King’s College London where he taught European politics and EU integration. He is Professor at the University of Warwick, and adjunct Professor at the University of Oslo.

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