Members of the community may be interested in the Summit on Science Diplomacy, an interdisciplinary event exploring the role of science in international collaboration, policy, and global challenges.
📅 15–18 June 2026 (12:00 p.m. – 12:00 p.m.)
📍 Université de Montréal – Campus MIL, Montréal, QC
The summit brings together researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to examine how science diplomacy can foster international partnerships and address complex global issues.
Université de Montréal, the University of Calgary, and McGill University, together with the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA) and the Swiss Embassy to Canada, are convening a summit focused on Canada’s strategy to harness the power of science diplomacy.
The symposium will bring together renowned international researchers, senior government officials, policymakers, industry leaders, and civil society representatives to explore how science diplomacy can strengthen trust, inform policy, enhance prosperity, and deliver solutions to global challenges where traditional diplomacy alone may fall short.
A central objective of the event is to build and consolidate a pan-Canadian science diplomacy network, connecting actors across regions, sectors, and disciplines, and fostering collaboration that extends well beyond the event itself.
In an era marked by geopolitical tension, rapid technological disruption, and fragmented global governance, science diplomacy has become a critical instrument for international cooperation. Breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, quantum, biotechnology, and advanced materials have elevated science and innovation to central drivers of geopolitical influence, economic resilience, and technological sovereignty.
Canada has emerged as a trusted and principled actor in this landscape, leveraging research excellence, innovation capacity, and democratic values to advance international cooperation while safeguarding institutional integrity and national interests. Through strategic partnerships, research leadership, and a growing national ecosystem dedicated to science diplomacy, Canada is positioning science not only as a tool of engagement, but as a strategic capability.