The Impact of Science Diplomacy on Iraq’s Position in the International System

Abstract

As the contemporary world transforms into a multi-dimensional space, there is a growing need to adopt a new variable, namely science diplomacy across its various fields. No sovereign state or active entity in the international system can afford to ignore this emerging dimension of political practice.

Science diplomacy, as a manifestation of soft power, is not limited to employing the data of political science and international relations alone; rather, it goes beyond that to integrate cultural, social, and economic structures, along with the associated transformations resulting from the growing role of scientific knowledge. This has contributed to establishing boundaries and proposing new definitions of concepts.

Among the most prominent approaches at the conceptual level are those addressing the interlinked relationship between science diplomacy and development. In this context, Iraq, within the West Asia region, possesses important enablers to activate this variable in its foreign policy, relying on a young and educated human base, in addition to a growing record in scientific and technological progress indicators.

Accordingly, the main challenge facing Iraq at the present stage is to make good use of these qualitative potentials and employ them optimally in the service of regional development, while taking into account economic, cultural, social, and political priorities.

This study adopted a qualitative methodology based on analyzing a set of documents related to the aforementioned fields, while reviewing the characteristics of each relevant variable, in an attempt to deconstruct the logic of the relationship between science diplomacy and regional development and to interpret its various dimensions.