Science Engagement in International Arena

This is an interesting excerpt from  "Carnegie Group at Twenty-Five: Diplomacy and Science at a High Level" by Paul Dufour. 

Science has traditionally been engaged with the international arena in five ways:

1. As linkages between and among scientists - largely informal in nature, this "invisible college" as some have called it, is still a highly networked global enterprise, now expanded to many regions within the developing world.
2. As an organized activity via the discussions between specialized agencies such as the United Nations, Health Organization, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and others... where science is truly on tap to help address policy at a larger scale. Indeed, UNESCO's program of fostering mutual understanding through science, education, and culture was lunched on the premise that "war begins in the minds of men."
3. As a strategy for diplomatic-trade contacts among countries - building political bridges when it is difficult to do so through the usual channels. A classic example is the creation of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis during the Cold War. Of course, research exchanges can also be channeled more negatively, such as the scientific espionage that took place around the atomic bomb project during World War II.
4. As an input to solving global problems-be it humanitarian aid or capacity building or both. The establishment of Canada's International Development Research Centre in 1970 was a unique experiment in this vein. Its board was then composed of members from both the developing and developed world, and regional offices were located in selected developing locales to ensure attention to local needs and culture.
5. As a way to link national pride with growing international economic prowess. Countries such as China, Brazil, and India have used a major buildup of their knowledge assets to increase their global standing. For example, in his 1960 report to the Organization for European Economic Co-operation, the Canadian diplomat L. Dana Wilgress made the following prediction about China: 

 China also is on the threshold of great achievements in science. They are putting into force a beautifully phased programme which commences with those now attending the secondary schools. These will be followed through by an expansion of the institutions for teaching science and technology until China is producing more scientists and engineers than Russia. In twenty-five years from now such a programme is bound to show results. They are likely to make China a first-class economic power. 

 Science & Diplomacy, March 2016