Legal instruments of scientific diplomacy

Brazil's bilateral cooperation agreements

Abstract

At the intersection of science policy and foreign policy, we find science diplomacy. Although formally conceptualized only in the past twenty years, science diplomacy and its practices have historically played a role in states' strategies for international engagement. The production of scientific knowledge and the enhancement of countries' innovation capacities are closely linked to the international sphere, both in reproducing North-South asymmetries and in overcoming them. The topic of Science Diplomacy can be classified as a frontier issue, as it introduces into the debate on International Relations a discussion about a soft power instrument that can be particularly relevant for emerging countries in asserting themselves as leaders of the Global South and as a means to overcome their subordinate relationship with central countries. This is a subject that deepens the interface between domestic and international spheres by presenting the internationalization of science as a tool for strengthening foreign policy and creating space for scientists and scientific production to act as diplomats. In doing so, it expands the possibilities for cooperation and conflict resolution on a global scale, beyond traditional state disputes. In this article, we analyze the role of science diplomacy in Brazilian foreign policy in its most specific sense, mapping and examining the historical series of bilateral scientific and technological cooperation agreements signed by Brazil with other countries. Science diplomacy practices have played a notable role in foreign policy, allowing for a more precise conceptualization and periodization of its place within the broader foreign policy framework.