On 12 July 2022, the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research hosted a series of discussion meetings “Science, Dialogue and Society” in the frames of the informal expert science diplomacy club DUBNA GREEN CHAMBER TALKS. The first meeting of the series focuses on topic “Architecture of cooperation in science 2030+: restoration vs new redistribution”.

JINR Director Grigory Trubnikov opening the meeting noted that JINR, as an international research organization, considered it important to provide maximum possible assistance to the development of scientific tools for science diplomacy. Grigory Trubnikov highlighted that the Dubna Green Chamber Talks meetings at the JINR site were designed to give participants the opportunity not only to articulate, but also to discuss with other high-class experts new models of interaction in the field of scientific cooperation and diplomacy. The exclusivity of this format also lies in the fact that a critical mass of unique experts gathered in one place can make it possible to formulate “advanced ideas” in the formulation of tasks for future global challenges. “Such expert impulses could become a driver for the development of a new science policy of the states united to solve global economic and humanitarian issues, and, perhaps, a model of scientific cooperation of the future,” Grigory Trubnikov summed up.

Expert reports by André João Rypl, Head of the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation of the Embassy of Brazil in Russia, and Ivan Danilin, Representative of the Institute of World Economy and International Relations, were the impulse for the subsequent discussion. The Brazilian speaker noted that in the current difficult period science had got opportunities in finding new approaches, partners, and “players” in this field. He defined science as the most important channel of interaction and recalled the words of astrophysicist and popularizer Carl Sagan, who called science “a candle in the dark.” As Ivan Danilin emphasised, the experience of “like JINR” international organizations would help to develop a “language” of cooperation capable of bringing science into a new orbit of interaction with society and policy-makers.

What formats of cooperation are the future of cooperation in science 2030+? How to strengthen the role of science (as a subject of decision-making) in international sustainability? Are there any super-challenges that can trigger international cooperation in science 2030+? What are the features of the geometry principles of cooperation 2030+? These and other issues were discussed during the discussion by experts from JINR, Brazil, India, Russia, and Vietnam: Victor Matveev, JINR Scientific Leader; Maria Matveeva, Director of the Sochi Dialogue (Russia-Austria), Advisor to the Head of the Talent and Success Foundation for international affairs; Shishir Shrotriya, Head of Science Section, Embassy of India in Russia; Sergey Lyulin, Deputy President of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Anh Nguyen Ngoc, First Secretary, Representative of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Embassy of Vietnam in Russia; Andrey Lisitsa, Head of the Centre for Scientific and Practical Education, Research Institute of Biomedical Chemistry. Irek Suleymanov, International Cooperation Adviser to the JINR Director, moderated the discussion.

Speaking about tools and formats of the new era of cooperation in science, the panelists identified the format of international intergovernmental organizations as such, noting the success story of JINR and CERN. It was highlighted that it was the science of the mega-science format that built those bridges that would never be destroyed. RAS Academician Victor Matveev spoke about the creation of JINR, CERN, and major scientific organizations in the USA. Anh Nguyen Ngoc shared the experience of scientific and educational cooperation between Vietnam and Russia in the field of nuclear energy.

An online survey carried out during the discussion showed that experts saw personal contacts of representatives of scientific communities as the key format of cooperation. In particular, Maria Matveeva highlighted the particular relevance of the convergence of talent cultivation systems in the international field since that is what can serve the cause of cooperation in science 2030+ and science diplomacy in the future. During the discussion, participants also discussed the need to bring the scientific agenda into the political sphere. According to Natalia Samoilovskaya, a Member of the Russian Pugwash Committee, it was the generally recognised reputation of scientists and government support that contributed to building a dialogue on this platform.

The discussion touched upon the trend of the sovereignty of scientific landscapes both in the East and in the West and how effectively this approach is able to respond to global challenges. According to the participants, the need to build an open science, as well as its decentralisation and self-organization, became a requirement of the time. RAS Academician Andrey Lisitsa, Head of the Center for Scientific and Practical Education, Research Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, expressed the opinion that it was the data exchange that led to a significant scientific result. “In the next ten years, I foresee a breakthrough in the field of data sharing. This, along with the rapid development of Internet technologies, also serves to support international cooperation in the future,” he said. As Shishir Shrotriya highlighted, “the development of the network of national scientific centres not only solves scientific problems and serves as a response to global challenges, but also serves to ensure the sovereignty of the country.” Human contacts and the personality factor play a key role for the development of scientific cooperation in the future.

At the meeting, it was noted that the current situation had shown the drift of the system of scientific dialogue principles and the role of science in modern society. Sergey Lyulin outlined the need to promote the value of science, focusing on the ability of science to self-organize, and also drew the attention of the expert audience to the thin divide between popularisation and populism. “Such leaders of science as V. A. Rubakov and Yu. Ts. Oganessian can set such scientific tasks that are able to “excite the creative search of young people,” Sergey Lyulin highlighted. Marina Belyaeva, Director for International Cooperation of Rosatom State Corporation, continued the idea noting the need to build a knowledge society.

One of the questions posed by the moderator to all participants of the meeting concerned global challenges that could become points of crystallisation of scientific cooperation and unification of countries on the horizon 2030+. The vote showed that along with the climate agenda, space, and artificial intelligence, experts also include the sphere of humanitarian knowledge and understanding of human civilization on such challenges. Commenting on these results, the participants noted the obvious unifying importance of interdisciplinarity: the future belongs to research at the intersection of humanities and natural sciences.

The discussion was attended by experts from Rosatom State Corporation, IMEMO RAS, the Sochi Dialogue (Russia-Austria), the Talent and Success Foundation, RFBR, MGIMO, MPGU, the Russian Pugwash Committee, the International Centre for Innovations in Science, Technology and Education, RUDN, Research Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, the Institute of Spectroscopy of the Russian Academy of Sciences, FIAN.

List of experts, 12 July 2022

Discussion programme, 12 July 2022