Science diplomacy plays an integral role in international science facilitation and communication being an element of soft power that enables the nations to build comprehensive longer-term and stable science dialogue at different levels from the global arena to national, regional, and even institutional actors. While being such a powerful and overarching instrument, science diplomacy constantly experiences paradigm shifts driven by the multiple and multidimensional internal (regional, national) and external (global) changes which have the direct co-influence on each other.

Current global environment and the rapid changes it undergoes shape the state of science diplomacy by putting forward both challenges and opportunities not only at the level of international science but also regionally through bilateral, cross-border cooperation and regional interconnections. Increasingly, our understanding of the importance of science diplomacy drives forward adaptability and innovation and through this - continuity of scientific interaction. This is what we witness today despite the challenges brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, with temporarily closed national borders, limited mobility, and switching to online communication formats.

One of the recent successful examples of delivering science diplomacy in this challenging global context is the flexible shift of the ASSW2020 conference to online format with the support of the Icelandic government. Institutionalization of online conferences is becoming a global practice and a new trend.

At the same time, a few challenges have jeopardized the development of science communication and collaboration among regional and institutional actors. Closed national borders and restructuring of national regulative rules regarding international mobility have hampered the summer field season in the Arctic including monitoring and observation activities.

Submit an abstract

Abstracts of potential contributions can be submitted by email to guest co-editors at arcticscidip@gmail.com by 30 November 2020.

Submission should include title, authors and abstract (max 200-250 words). Invitations for full submissions (including research articles, short communications, commentaries and review papers) will be sent to respective authors by 20th December.

For the full call, including detailed information for authors, visit the Polar Record webpages.

Polar Record is a peer-reviewed academic journal of the Scott Polar Research Institute, published by Cambridge University Press. Scott Polar Research Institute has been a UArctic member since 2018.