Nature Editorial: Advising governments about science is essential but difficult. So train people to do it

A great scientist doesn’t necessarily make an effective science adviser — but schooling and practice can help to bridge the gap. Earlier this year, Nature asked science-policy specialists which country is particularly good at ensuring science is factored into government decisions. The question mystified many respondents. “Not aware of any,” wrote one. “None have enviable systems,” wrote…

Nature Feature: Science could solve some of the world’s biggest problems. Why aren’t governments using it?

A Nature global survey finds that most specialists are unhappy with systems to provide science advice to policymakers. By Helen Pearson Killer viruses. Artificial intelligence. Extreme weather. Microplastics. Mental health. These are just a few of the pressing issues on which governments need science to inform their policies. But the systems that connect scientists with politicians are not…

Science and Diplomacy Journal – Special Issue: Science Diplomacy — 15 Years On

It has been 15 years since the publication of the joint AAAS-Royal Society report New Frontiers in Science Diplomacy.1 To mark that anniversary, our two organizations are revisiting our report, aiming to publish an update to it in early 2025. Over the past year, we have consulted stakeholders widely, aiming to gather a diverse range of views…

Research Security for Actionable Science Diplomacy – Kana Asano and Tateo Arimoto

Almost 15 years have passed since New Frontiers in Science Diplomacy introduced three pillars of science diplomacy: science in diplomacy, diplomacy for science, and science for diplomacy. Since then, in 2017, science and technology advisors from New Zealand, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan proposed three categories for pragmatic reframing of science diplomacy: 1) actions…

Science Diplomacy and Multilateral Negotiations – Tan Sri Zakri Abdul Hamid

Science diplomacy is the relationship between two or more countries in addressing common problems predicated on scientific knowledge. It is also a good compliment to sustain good relations between two countries in times of strained public diplomatic relations. An excellent example: at the height of the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the U.S….

View from the top: Academic leaders’ and funders’ insights on the challenges ahead

Abstract: Today’s institutional leaders face a shifting landscape of challenges. View from the Top: Academic Leaders’ and Funders’ Insights on the Challenges Ahead explores the complex issues academic leaders and funders face, their preparedness to tackle them, and the strategies they’re developing to ensure long-term success for their institutions. Developed from interviews of over 100…

AI tools as science policy advisers? The potential and the pitfalls

Large language models and other artificial-intelligence systems could be excellent at synthesizing scientific evidence for policymakers — but only with appropriate safeguards and humans in the loop. Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have stoked febrile commentary around large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT and others, that can generate text in response to typed…

For cohesive solutions, scientific advice must be accessible and widely drawn

Article following the 2023 G20 Chief Science Advisers Roundtable (G20-CSAR) as part of the Indian Presidency of the G20. Abstract: The G20-Chief Science Advisers Roundtable (G20-CSAR) hosted by India this year ended with calls for an inclusive global science advisory mechanism in which evidence-backed advice can easily draw on a global span of knowledge and…

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