A recent Nature contribution about the Future of Science Advice “to governments” asked: What needs to change? It first may be helpful to step back and see the progress, reflecting on the inclusive global community of “specialists” that now exists with science diplomacy as a ‘language of hope’.
To answer ‘what needs to change’ is to understand time.
We are living in a world of exponential change with a ‘continuum of urgencies’ to address at minutes-to-months as well as across decades-to-centuries.
There is necessity to make informed decisions based on evidence, founded with questions that are framed inclusively (who, what, when, where, why and how).
With the methods of the natural sciences, social sciences and Indigenous knowledge – trends, patterns and process are revealed over time, influencing decisions about governance mechanisms and built infrastructure as well as their coupling to achieve progress with sustainable development. This has been the course of humanity with knowledge systems and governments, which are increasingly interconnected today with science advice across the spectrum of subnational-national-international jurisdictions.
With research-into-action, questions are brokered by science diplomats, stimulating processes with governments to enable:
- Absent dialogues among allies and adversaries alike, such as the first formal dialogue between the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Russia regarding security in the Arctic;
- Development of global networks and institutions with science advice, such as the International Network for Governmental Science Advice (INGSA) and the International Science Council (ISC) with its historic foundations as well as with leadership across the Global South, as introduced with the International Institute of Science Diplomacy and Sustainability (IISDS) at UCSI University in Malaysia; and most importantly
- Hopeful solutions that operate with inclusion across our planetary home, recognizing science is a global public good.
With 21st-century perspectives of the Anthropocene – we are beginning to understand as well as apply the transdisciplinary foundations of science with society. The challenge is time, operating across centuries, understanding humanity is just in its infancy as a globally-interconnected civilization.
Additional observations about Making Sense of Science in the 21st Century are shared in the collection of commentaries written by ISC Fellows, building common interests with the ISC Frontiers Policy Labs. Prof. Paul Arthur Berkman contributed to this ISC collection with:
