Policy

Have you ever wondered how can science and innovation strengthen global cooperation and help address shared challenges such as climate change, emerging technologies, resource security, and sustainable development?

If yes, join us for an insightful discussion in our upcoming webinar on the evolving landscape of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Diplomacy, and explore how researchers, policymakers, and international organizations can work together to shape responsible innovation and evidence-informed solutions.

The webinar "Advancing Science, Technology, and Innovation Diplomacy for Sustainability" organized in collaboration with MCAA Policy WG and UNESCO Venice, will bring together experts from UNESCO and UNESCO-TWAS to discuss:
🔹 The role of STI Diplomacy in global challenges
🔹 International scientific cooperation and science-for-policy approaches
🔹 Responsible governance of transformative technologies, including AI and Quantum Technologies
🔹 Inclusive and gender-responsive innovation ecosystems
🔹 Opportunities for researchers to engage in global policy discussions

So, whether you are a researcher, policymaker, or science communication enthusiast, this webinar offers an opportunity to connect with leading voices shaping the future of science diplomacy.

#ScienceDiplomacy #STIDiplomacy #SciencePolicy #Sustainability #Innovation #Research #MCAA #UNESCO #EUSDA

The webinar will provide the wider research community with an interdisciplinary perspective on the connections between cultural diplomacy and science diplomacy. It is particularly relevant for internationally mobile researchers, offering insights into how cultural engagement can serve as a bridge for mutual understanding, trust-building, and collaboration across different political, social, and cultural contexts.

The European Union's proposed "Fifth Freedom" that is the free circulation of knowledge, researchers, and innovation, represents a landmark ambition to complete the Single Market by addressing the longstanding fragmentation that continues to constrain European science. Building on the ongoing reforms to the European Research Area (ERA), this initiative seeks to dismantle persistent barriers to cross-border mobility, harmonise career conditions, and create a more coherent and competitive research landscape across Member States.

In this webinar, Thomas Sturm (Professor ICREA & Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Member of Academia Europaea) explores the historical and policy foundations of the Fifth Freedom, unpacking its scientific and democratic rationale and what it means in practice for the research community.

The session bridges high-level EU policy developments with their concrete implications for researchers, from funding opportunities and career progression to administrative burdens and international collaboration.

Participants will get a clearer understanding of how these policy shifts may reshape mobility, working conditions, and research funding across Europe. The webinar will also offer practical guidance on how researchers and MCAA members can actively contribute to shaping the ERA, through policy consultations, science diplomacy, and engagement with EU institutions.

Whether you are early in your career or an experienced researcher navigating the European science landscape, this session offers both the context and the tools to engage with one of the most significant developments in EU science policy today.

Register here - https://shorturl.at/d8cxi

Join us for a Science Diplomacy workshop on Nov 14, 6–8 p.m. CET, online or at the University Medical Center in Amsterdam! The workshop explores how Science Diplomacy and Science Policy intersect and shape researchers’ everyday work and career development.

The two-hour workshop includes:
🎤 Presentations & lightning talks
🗣️ Roundtable discussions
💼 Learning from experiences shared by experts, Radenka Krsmanović Whiffen and Annelies Van de Ven.

To help us tailor the content of this career-development session, we kindly invite all participants to register by completing this short pre-workshop questionnaire: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSegENLql_buWam4Z78pEF6BljKoWHZTPSDW1ZoCj5IZuRm2jw/viewform.

If you plan to join us onsite, the location is:
AMC | Meibergdreef 9 (Room G7-296)
1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands

A Zoom link and a Visitor Guide will be provided closer to the date. Feel free to drop us a line here in the chat or at [email protected]

Are European universities ready to meet the needs of early-careerresearchers? The 2025 MSCA Presidency Conference explores how academia can attract and retain the brightest minds — and shape the future of research in Europe.

The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Presidency Conference 2025 is organized by the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) with the support of the European Commission.