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Policy Brief
The multiplication of systemic crises on a global scale - whether environmental, health-related, energy-related or linked to global security issues - calls for a profound change in diplomatic modes of action. In this context, the structured integration of scientific knowledge into international relations appears to be a decisive condition for the formulation of effective and legitimate collective responses. Science diplomacy is thus a strategic field of intervention, at the interface between expertise, public decision-making and international cooperation.
Our analysis examines the capacity of Moroccan universities to play a sustained role within this dynamic, going beyond their traditional academic function to assume an active role in the production of expertise that can be mobilized in the service of Morocco's external action. The analysis covers both institutional and governance frameworks, as well as operational mechanisms enabling effective interaction between researchers, diplomats and public decision-makers. It leads to a set of proposals aimed at reinforcing the national structuring of science diplomacy.
This Policy Brief highlights the need to strengthen bridges between the academic, diplomatic and political spheres in order to convert national scientific capital into a tool for influence and international credibility. In a multilateral environment marked by growing tensions and increasingly complex negotiations, the support of organized scientific expertise is a key factor in underpinning national positions, facilitating dialogue and promoting solutions based on shared factual foundations.
Finally, this Policy Brief emphasizes that science diplomacy represents a strategic vector of visibility and international influence for the Kingdom. By building on national achievements in sectors of high strategic value - notably climate, water, energy, hydrogen and sustainable development - universities can help strengthen the country's position as a reliable partner and constructive player in multilateral initiatives. In this respect, developing cross-disciplinary skills, investing in the training of hybrid profiles and consolidating targeted partnerships appear to be essential levers for ensuring that science diplomacy remains at the heart of the country's public policies and international strategy.
SCIENCE DIPLOMACY: A STRATEGIC LEVER IN THE FACE OF GLOBAL CHALLENGES
In a world characterized by growing interdependence between states, contemporary challenges can no longer be tackled using traditional diplomatic instruments alone. Climate, health and energy crises transcend borders and require collective responses based on science, expertise and innovation. It is against this backdrop that science diplomacy has gradually emerged as a hybrid field, at the interface between knowledge production and diplomatic action.
Science diplomacy can be defined as the set of interactions between science and foreign policy aimed, on the one hand, at informing public decision-making with evidence-based data and, on the other, at using scientific cooperation as a vector for bringing nations closer together. This diplomacy rests on three complementary pillars:
- science at the service of diplomacy, providing reliable expertise for international negotiations,
- diplomacy in the service of science, facilitating cooperation, mobility and access to research infrastructures,
- science as a tool for diplomacy, fostering trust, dialogue and peace.
In this context, universities appear as natural platforms for the production, dissemination and mediation of scientific knowledge, giving them a strategic role in global governance mechanisms.
UNIVERSITIES AS KEY PLAYERS IN SCIENCE DIPLOMACY
Knowledge production and scientific legitimacy
Universities are the foundation of national scientific research. They produce the data, analyses and innovations needed to address global issues. This capacity gives academics particular legitimacy in international forums, where scientific credibility has become a central element in multilateral negotiations.
Scientific production in our country has grown significantly over the last decade. Between 2015 and 2024, the number of publications related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) rose from around 1,258 to over 6,100 per year, with a total corpus of 31,889 indexed publications between 2015 and 2024. The rate of publications with international co-authorship is around 36.8%, indicating active cooperation with European and North American partners
The increase in the number of publications reflects the real dynamism of Moroccan universities on the global scientific scene, although the visibility and impact of this work remain below that of benchmark countries.
In the fields of climate, health, energy and biosafety, academic contributions play a decisive role in the formulation of international conventions, the development of technical standards and risk assessment. In this respect, the direct involvement of researchers in diplomatic processes enhances the quality and relevance of the decisions taken.
Training future players in science diplomacy
In addition to research, universities have a structuring educational mission. They are called upon to prepare a new generation of hybrid profiles, capable of navigating between
the scientific, political and diplomatic worlds. These cross-disciplinary skills are essential in a context where international negotiations require a detailed understanding of both technical issues and geopolitical dynamics.
The development of academic programs specifically geared towards science diplomacy, the science-policy interface and the international governance of knowledge represents a major strategic lever for sustainably strengthening Morocco's presence and influence on the international stage. In addition to traditional disciplinary training, the aim is to design hybrid, interdisciplinary courses that combine hard sciences, social sciences, international relations and public policy.
By way of illustration, the creation of master’s programs specializing in science diplomacy and international negotiations based on scientific evidence would train profiles capable of translating complex data into operational diplomatic positions. Programs in science, technology and public policy (STPP), incorporating modules in global risk analysis, international regulation, climate diplomacy or health security, would provide a structured bridge between research and public decision-making. In addition, short executive training courses for diplomats, senior civil servants and private sector executives could strengthen national capacities for science-policy dialogue on priority themes such as energy, green hydrogen, water, desalination or biosafety.
Educational innovation can also be achieved by setting up university chairs and policy labs dedicated to science diplomacy, bringing together universities, ministries, diplomatic training institutes and international partners. These facilities would provide spaces for experimentation, the co-production of knowledge and the simulation of multilateral negotiations, contributing to the emergence of a new generation of executives capable of operating effectively at the interface between science and diplomacy. By thus structuring a training offer adapted to global issues, Morocco would strengthen its ability to anticipate, influence and co-construct international agendas linked to global common goods.
GOVERNANCE, MULTILATERALISM AND STRATEGIC ISSUES
The role of decision-makers and diplomats
Science diplomacy cannot be effective without a clear governance framework and a coherent articulation between the various institutional players. Political decision-makers, diplomats and senior administrative officials play a key role in integrating scientific expertise into national strategies and positions defended in multilateral forums.
Morocco actively participates in international scientific dialogue forums. For example, at the Global Ministerial Dialogue on Science Diplomacy, organized by UNESCO, the Kingdom reaffirmed its commitment to open, inclusive and collaborative science, stressing the importance of sharing knowledge and scientific infrastructures.
Morocco's participation in these dialogues demonstrates a proactive approach, but needs to be consolidated by more coherent national strategies that take full advantage of these diplomatic platforms to promote the country's scientific and economic interests.
In a context of multilateralism under strain, marked by divergent interests and asymmetries in capabilities, science can provide a common language facilitating dialogue and cooperation. However, this opportunity presupposes explicit institutional recognition of the role of universities and scientific experts in decision-making processes.
Opportunities and limits of scientific multilateralism
Multilateral agreements, whether on climate, health or non-proliferation, are privileged forums for the expression of science diplomacy. However, these arenas are also subject to political and economic power relations that can limit the impact of scientific contributions.
In this context, strengthening national capacities in science diplomacy appears to be an essential condition for effectively defending the country's interests, while making a constructive contribution to global public goods.
OPERATIONAL IMPLEMENTATION: PRACTITIONERS' VIEWS AND FEEDBACK
Technical and institutional challenges
Scientists involved in multilateral processes identify several obstacles to fully operational science diplomacy:
- lack of long-term funding,
- weak inter-institutional coordination,
- lack of institutional recognition of scientific contributions in international negotiations and,
- limited linkage between basic research and socio-economic needs.
These challenges hamper the ability of universities to participate effectively in international processes and take advantage of science diplomacy to strengthen the position of Morocco and its research institutions.
Feedback and Morocco's participation in multilateral frameworks
Morocco's experience of participating in multilateral frameworks, such as climate negotiations or conventions on biological and chemical weapons, illustrates the potential of science diplomacy as a tool for influence and international credibility.
As part of its commitment to strengthening the international biological non-proliferation regime, Morocco has actively participated in meetings of experts of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), notably at the meeting held in Geneva in August 2008.
This participation provided an opportunity to share national experience in the governance of biological agents, while contributing to technical discussions on the implementation of Article X (international cooperation) and confidence-building mechanisms (CBMs).
This type of commitment illustrates Morocco's commitment to multilateral biosafety frameworks and its position as a responsible player in the global governance of biological risks.
Generally speaking, the involvement of national experts in these processes not only makes it possible to defend the country's positions, but also to strengthen internal skills and encourage the transfer of knowledge to national institutions.
IMFRED as a national platform for the convergence of science and diplomacy
The Institut marocain de formation, de recherche et d'études diplomatiques (IMFRED) is a structuring pillar of Moroccan science diplomacy. Created by decree no. 2.11.103 of April 11, 2011 and reporting to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Resident Abroad, IMFRED provides initial and continuing training for Moroccan diplomats, and also welcomes diplomats from several regions of the world as part of cooperation and capacity-building programs.
The training sessions provided an ideal forum for exchanges between scientists and diplomatic practitioners, illustrating in concrete terms the added value of scientific expertise in understanding and implementing public policies on an international scale.
These presentations also provided an opportunity to highlight the progress made by Morocco in the fields of climate policy, integrated water resource management and the transition to sustainable development, to diplomats called upon to exercise responsibilities in their respective countries or within international organizations. IMFRED's experience demonstrates how a national diplomatic training system can become a vector of scientific and political influence, while strengthening the Kingdom's position as a credible and committed player in multilateral negotiations on climate and environmental issues.
OUTLOOK AND STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATIONS
In order to strengthen the role of Moroccan universities in science diplomacy, several courses of action can be envisaged:
institutionalize science diplomacy within universities, through dedicated structures and coordination mechanisms with the relevant ministries,
create and strengthen interdisciplinary academic programs covering the science-politics-diplomacy interface,
promote the international commitment of researchers, by including it in academic evaluation criteria,
target strategic priority areas such as energy, green hydrogen, water, desalination, health security, sport and culture,
promote dialogue platforms, such as hybrid seminars organized within universities, to strengthen synergies between diplomats, researchers and decision-makers.
CONCLUSION
At a time when major contemporary issues - climate, health, energy and security - are redefining international balances, science diplomacy is emerging as a structuring instrument in the external action of States. Not only does it help to anchor political decisions in reliable, shared knowledge, it also creates spaces for cooperation and trust in an increasingly complex and fragmented international environment. For Morocco, this tool represents a key strategic opportunity to combine scientific excellence, diplomatic credibility and international influence.
Moroccan universities occupy a pivotal position in this dynamic. Their role is no longer limited to the production of academic knowledge, but extends to the training of hybrid skills, capable of articulating science, public policy and international relations. By fostering dialogue between researchers, decision-makers and diplomats, academic institutions can make a decisive contribution to the development of national positions based on expertise, and to the defense of the Kingdom's interests in multilateral forums.
However, the consolidation of an ambitious Moroccan science diplomacy presupposes a number of structuring choices: clarification of institutional frameworks, recognition of the international commitment of scientists, sustained investment in research and training, and the development of international partnerships aligned with national priorities, particularly in the fields of energy, water, climate and sustainable transition. By resolutely following this path, Morocco would be able to strengthen its role as a bridge between science and diplomacy, while actively contributing to the production of collective solutions in the service of global common goods.
