Science-Diplomacy

With an eye to the future, the Swiss government co-founded the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA) in 2019. As part of its third summit, GESDA, in collaboration with the FDFA, CERN and UBS, has launched an institute dedicated to quantum computing: the Open Quantum Institute. We take a look at this technology of the future and the promise it holds with representatives from the worlds of diplomacy and science.

The Climate Change Conference in Glasgow includes a pavilion devoted to Earth's frozen surfaces. This initiative is backed by Switzerland, whose world-renowned scientific expertise in the cryosphere may help to advance the climate negotiations. Part of the pavilion will feature virtually in Geneva.

Mining asteroids for their natural resources and downloading the contents of the human brain are quickly moving from the realms of science fiction to reality. The Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator builds capacities to spot future scientific and technological breakthroughs before they happen. The independent foundation, which enjoys FDFA support, is set to unveil its Breakthrough Radar at its upcoming inaugural summit.

Xavier Mertz was the first Swiss polar explorer to set foot in Antarctica in 1911, but his drive to explore the region came at a bitter price. Although polar exploration today is less dramatic, it is even more urgent than ever before. To mark Swiss Polar Day, the head of the FDFA's Prosperity and Sustainability Division, Stefan Estermann, talks about the role Swiss polar research has to play and how Switzerland is stepping up its commitment to scientific diplomacy.

The establishment of CERN in Geneva in 1954 played its own part in the reconstruction of post-Second World War Europe. The man behind the initiative was Professor Herwig Schopper. Now, at the age of 97, this wise man is still a champion of peace and scientific development and is working on the creation of new institutes in different strategic regions of the world.

New technologies are becoming increasingly important to foreign policy: what opportunities does digitalisation bring and which aspects need to be regulated? International Geneva provides a platform for Switzerland in promoting dialogue between the scientific and diplomatic communities. The Federal Council seeks to strengthen Geneva's role as a digital governance hub and has now appointed Ambassador Alexandre Fasel as the first special representative for science diplomacy in Geneva.