Making Science Diplomacy (SD) Work: A SD Network in Québec to Impact International Scientific Policies – Frontiers Policy Labs
By: Prof Remi Quirion, Laurent Corbeil and Charles Morissette – INGSA Office of the President
Many observers and actors in science diplomacy have remarked over the past year that the concept has shifted, largely because the world has entered a disruptive phase marked by challenging geopolitical conditions [1]. The 2025 report by the Royal Society and the AAAS, “Science Diplomacy in an Era of Disruption,” highlights the many challenges facing both scientists and diplomats who seek to have a greater impact [2]. To navigate these changes, Turekian and Gluckman suggest “a trimodal model for science diplomacy that is aspirational, pragmatic, and transactional” [3].
Among the actions we have taken to address science diplomacy challenges and position Québec, we participated in the UNESCO Global Ministerial Dialogue on Science Diplomacy in March 2025 and announced that we would create a series of research chairs in science diplomacy [4]. Our objective was to foster collaboration between researchers and diplomats on international scientific policy issues. A year later, in March 2026, the Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ) launched eight research chairs in science diplomacy as part of a coordinated science diplomacy network. Each of the eight chairs will work on a specific theme related to global challenges, such as governance of artificial intelligence, Arctic and space diplomacy, climate change, Indigenous peoples’ science diplomacy, inclusion in education, fisheries stock management, and food sustainability. The decision to establish these chairs marks a strategic shift from ad hoc international scientific engagement toward a more structured policy capacity that can connect research, diplomacy, and public decision-making (see Annex 1 for details). Following advocacy by Québec’s Chief Scientist and its scientific community, science diplomacy is now an explicit instrument of the province’s international engagement and, since June 2026, is reflected in Québec’s new international policy [5].