Does science diplomacy offer chances to strengthen understanding between nations or does it simply amount to a ''false dawn''?
Many issues facing the world either arise from science or can be solved only with science, Lloyd Spencer Davis says.
This is why Prof Davis, director of the University of Otago's Centre for Science Communication, and Robert Patman, head of the university's department of politics, believe science diplomacy has been gaining momentum over the past 60 years.
Science diplomacy can be broadly defined as the use of scientific collaboration among nations to address common problems and build constructive international partnerships.
Prof Davis said that in a ''world of globalisation'', issues such as climate change, and water quality and shortages existed on a scale that could ''only be managed internationally''.
And international policy challenges often required scientific advice.
The two men have edited Science Diplomacy: New Day or False Dawn?, a book that evolved from the 46th annual Otago University Foreign Policy School in 2011. And international specialists have made contributions on topics such as the role of science communication in diplomacy.
The resulting book was launched by University of Otago vice chancellor Harlene Hayne last week. Profs Davis and Patman have focused on science in diplomacy, diplomacy for science, and science for diplomacy.
Their provisional finding was that science diplomacy was ''not a silver bullet'' and was ''no substitute for diplomacy that tackles political tensions between countries'', Prof Patman said.
But science diplomacy could ''enlighten and improve the quality of international policy making in a complex and increasingly interconnected world''.
