Science Diplomacy

I became interested in science diplomacy after participating in a talk at TWAS, Italy in 2017. Since then, I have passed several courses and seminars on this topic to broaden my knowledge. The reason this talk interested me was that when I was a child, I wanted to become a diplomat. However, as a girl in Iran, I realized that I could not even run for president, and there were no women ministers. Yeah! I could be the first one, but in the apartheid regime, it was clear that I should bury this dream. However, I'm grateful that I chose science instead, which has given me the freedom to pursue my passions.

It was due to COVID and the availability of online courses, I've been able to officially learn about science diplomacy, and I'm grateful to the Global Young Academy fellows for electing me as an executive committee member in 2021, which has opened up many doors for me to engage with policymakers in science, such as the International Science Council (ISC), InterAcademy Partnership (IAP), and UNESCO. Along the way, I've also discovered that some of my science communication activities could be considered science diplomacy, like when I convinced the mayor of my hometown to support our astronomy activities for the public in 2004. This led to the celebration of the International Day of Astronomy in public monuments of the city in subsequent years. One of the most memorable events was when we celebrated the longest night of the year, called Yalda in Persian, in Tabriz Municipality Palace. You can find its report here (in Persian). 

Overall, I've always been interested in nexus roles, namely at the interface of science with policy. My ultimate goal is to pursue a career as a "science diplomat," and I'm excited to continue on this journey. Here, I share my journey in science diplomacy.