An event titled “The Role of Science Diplomacy in a Digitalizing World” was held by the Üsküdar University Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, within the scope of the University Culture course. Prof. Dr. Özgün Erler Bayır, a faculty member from the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Istanbul University's Faculty of Political Sciences, attended the event as a guest. Bayır stated that the emergence of new types of diplomacy has added a new dimension to traditional diplomacy; “With digitalization, the expansion of communication channels and tools has also broadened the working areas of diplomats,” he said.
The Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Prof. Dr. Deniz Ülke Arıboğan, also attended the event held at Üsküdar University South Campus Socrates Hall.
Emphasizing conceptual and theoretical knowledge to students is important!
Stating that the field has become even more intricate with the emergence of new concepts in diplomacy, Prof. Dr. Özgün Erler Bayır said; “The changes in diplomacy and the diversification of new types of diplomacy appear as an extremely interesting and complex subject. Discussions especially on concepts such as public diplomacy, the lack of clear definitions for these concepts, and their intertwinement increase the complexity of the field. In this context, it is important to emphasize conceptual and theoretical knowledge to students. This forms a solid foundation for their future studies.”
“New fields have added a new dimension to traditional diplomacy”
Evaluating the fields of digital diplomacy and science diplomacy, Prof. Dr. Özgün Erler Bayır stated; “The emergence of new types of diplomacy such as digital diplomacy and science diplomacy has added a new dimension to traditional diplomacy. With digitalization, the expansion of communication channels and tools has also broadened the working areas of diplomats. However, it can be challenging to clarify the boundaries of these new types of diplomacy concepts and understand their interconnections. Science diplomacy, on the other hand, stands out as an important field. Scientific cooperation can create common ground in international relations and serve as an effective tool in solving global problems. Especially when dealing with science-based global problems, diplomats may need to develop policies based on scientific data and promote international cooperation.”
“Teachers should provide valuable guidance to students”
Advising that the new fields emerging in diplomacy should be conveyed to students under the guidance of teachers, Prof. Dr. Özgün Erler Bayır said; “When addressing these complex subjects, it is important to emphasize the clear definitions of concepts and the relationships between them to students. Furthermore, it is important to help them understand how they can contribute to these fields in their future studies. Teachers should provide valuable guidance to students in this area.”
The event concluded after participants' questions were answered.