Date of Award

2022

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Maritime Affairs

Specialization

Ph.D (Maritime Affairs)

Campus

Malmö, Sweden

Abstract

Science diplomacy, the interlinkage between research and foreign affairs, is a recent field of research, albeit being claimed to be an ancient practice in international relations. Science diplomacy practices generally include the influence of scientific advice during international negotiations, the bridging of communities (or even conflicting nations) through joint research projects and the promotion of science by diplomatic channels, just to name a few. Largely identified today by mainstream intergovernmental policy-makers as a beneficial practice, science diplomacy is promoted as being rooted in the universality and cooperative nature of science and as a means for peaceful and uncontested international interactions. However, research on the processes underlying the adoption of science diplomacy practices is evaluating how the different imperatives of science and of diplomacy clash in values and expected outcomes. Thus, this study is aimed at exploring and understanding the importance of science diplomacy to ocean affairs, specifically looking at the power play between science and diplomacy in the Atlantic Ocean, utilizing the AllAtlantic Ocean Research Alliance as a case. This study reflects a stepwise process in unveiling the importance of science diplomacy in ocean governance. The first step was to review the current state-ofthe-art on science diplomacy, its practices and scholarship. Second, analyze how science diplomacy is active in ocean affairs, departing from the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and related instruments. Finally, use the AllAtlantic Ocean Research Alliance as a case in time to search for science diplomacy practices. In this journey, the collection of perceptions from researchers and government officials about science diplomacy informed me on the need to address issues of power, capabilities and South-North relationships in the Atlantic. My ultimate goal was to identify how and why the Atlantic community of practice gives meaning to the use and practices of ocean science diplomacy. To this end, I interviewed both researchers and government officials from the South and North Atlantic involved in the negotiation and implementation of the Alliance. Through a thematic analysis I identified the values perceived by scientists and government officials with regard to ocean science diplomacy, in particular in the context of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. My results indicate that most practitioners were and remain unfamiliar with the available concepts of science diplomacy. There is, however, a common perception of it being positive, relevant and influential to international ocean negotiations. This benevolent perception of ocean science diplomacy in the Atlantic Ocean is further contrasted with different expectations coming from the South and North Atlantic, as well as different perspectives revealed by researchers and government officials. 12 By applying the theoretical framework of postcolonialism and decolonial thought, I discuss how different meanings of ocean science diplomacy between functional roles (scientists and officials) and regions (South and North Atlantic) cause distinct motivations in engagement. As a result, I advocate that ocean science diplomacy in the Atlantic will only be a driver to unite communities around shared goals and values if common interests are negotiated and achieved, recognizant of the colonial past that shapes our understanding of ocean science diplomacy.

Comments

ISBN: 978-91-987474-3-0

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