FDFA Africa Division organises science diplomacy workshop in Africa; two flagship projects illustrate cooperation

FDFA Africa Division organises science diplomacy workshop in Africa; two flagship projects illustrate cooperation

“Engagement with the scientific community can have a stimulating effect on Swiss diplomacy”

Communication Published on 13 August 2026

“Engagement with the scientific community can have a stimulating effect on Swiss diplomacy”

On 17 August 2026, the Africa Division of the FDFA State Secretariat, in collaboration with the universities of Bern and Basel, is organising a workshop on science diplomacy in practice. The aim is to explore together what closer cooperation between research, science and diplomacy in Africa can achieve, and how research institutions, the private sector, NGOs and official representatives of African states in Switzerland can better network with one another and with the Swiss diplomatic service. “Africa is an emerging continent, particularly in the field of innovation; with its young, rapidly growing population, it holds enormous potential for science diplomacy,” says Ambassador Philipp Stalder, head of the Africa Division. “It is therefore in Switzerland’s interests to specifically promote research cooperation with African institutions.”

Could you use two projects to illustrate the areas in which results have been achieved?

For me, a flagship project demonstrating close and fruitful cooperation is the Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques in Côte d’Ivoire. Founded in 1951 and located not far from the commercial capital, Abidjan, the centre conducts research into areas including health, food security and biodiversity. It combines scientific research with training for local researchers and addresses specific societal needs. It embodies a long-term partnership between our two countries. This spring, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis attended the celebrations marking the Centre Suisse’s 75th anniversary. This sent an important political signal for both countries.

EPFL’s Transnational Red Sea Centre is another project dedicated to tackling a climate-related phenomenon across borders and continents. Thanks to this collaboration, researchers from various countries bordering the Red Sea come together to investigate why coral reefs in certain areas are particularly resilient to warming waters, and how they can be better protected in threatened areas. The FDFA supports dialogue at the political level with the governments and relevant ministries in the region.

How important is cooperation in the field of research for the implementation of Switzerland’s foreign policy objectives in Africa?

Research cooperation is an important element of Switzerland’s bilateral relations with its African partners. It promotes long-term exchange between public and private institutions and, as in the case of the Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, helps to establish lasting partnerships. Those in the global research community who collaborate across national borders work towards shared interests and strengthen mutual trust. These are also important drivers for foreign policy work within the framework of the Africa Strategy 2025–28.

What objectives does the Africa Strategy set out for research cooperation?

The Africa Strategy 2025–28 cites digitalisation and digital governance based on international law as examples of areas where it aims to foster closer cooperation with African countries, and includes existing bilateral and multilateral cooperation programmes. These form the basis for the further development of research cooperation. In a broader sense, I’m happy to quote Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, who, in the foreword to the Africa Strategy, writes of “this dynamic and emerging continent”, with which Switzerland intends to strengthen its relations in a targeted manner. When one considers the potential offered by Africa’s younger population, I see many opportunities, particularly in the field of research, to strengthen these relations.

How does the FDFA’s cooperation with Swiss research institutions currently work with regard to Africa?

Swiss universities are entirely autonomous in this regard and establish their international partnerships independently. The FDFA does not direct this cooperation, but can provide targeted support through its diplomatic work.

Our network of diplomatic missions on the continent facilitates contacts at government level, opens doors to authorities and institutions, and contributes to a better understanding of the political and scientific environment. Exchanges with the scientific community can have a fruitful impact on Swiss diplomacy: new perspectives may emerge, and conversely, researchers from Switzerland can extend their contacts with and within Africa.

You were formerly the ambassador to Ghana. What was your experience of research cooperation there?

The private Ashesi University in Ghana is a good example. As ambassador, I witnessed how ETH Zurich and Swiss companies established a partnership with Ashesi University, which led to the creation of Ghana’s first master’s programme in mechatronics. SECO provided financial support for this collaboration. The focus is currently on mechatronics, but it would be interesting to see whether the partnership could be extended to other subject areas in the future. This experience shows that science diplomacy has very tangible effects: in the form of educational opportunities, jobs and long-term trust between Switzerland and its African partners.

On 17 August 2026, the FDFA, together with the universities of Bern and Basel, will hold a workshop on science diplomacy in practice. What do you hope to gain from this event in Bern?

For me, there are three key objectives: first, we want to use the event to bring together the various stakeholders from the worlds of science and diplomacy. Second, we want to highlight that we can already draw on a wealth of expertise in the initiatives in the areas mentioned at the outset – namely health, agriculture, climate and biodiversity, marine research, digitalisation and innovation. These two objectives form the basis for the third objective: to promote discussion on how science and diplomacy can complement each other even more effectively in the face of the digital revolution of the 21st century, and what contribution science diplomacy can make to cooperation with Africa.

Anticipation is a key pillar of science diplomacy. It enables political decisions to be prepared at an earlier stage. In what areas could the FDFA utilise the foresight gained from research cooperation to help achieve its foreign policy objectives in Africa?

Anticipation is a key component in all policy areas, including science diplomacy. Engaging with the scientific community helps to identify new developments at an early stage and incorporate them into policy considerations. One example of this is the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA), which has established a partnership with South Africa to promote anticipatory science diplomacy. Such collaboration strengthens the forward-looking dialogue between science and politics.

According to the Federal Council’s Foreign Policy Strategy 2024–27, the interaction between diplomacy, science, the private sector and NGOs is intended to provide impetus for multilateral cooperation. To what extent does the event on 17 August 2026 represent a step towards this goal?

The workshop creates a space for discussion on shared challenges and experiences. The aim is to raise the profile of existing partnerships and facilitate new contacts. We see the event as an opportunity to learn from one another and to explore together how science and diplomacy can complement each other even more effectively in future. In this way, the workshop makes a concrete contribution to the implementation of the objectives of the Foreign Policy Strategy, which specifically emphasises partnership-based cooperation with African states. In addition to the active participation of researchers in Switzerland and Africa, I‘m particularly looking forward to the involvement of the diplomatic missions of African states based in Switzerland, as well as the heads of mission at our 19 Swiss embassies across this vast continent, which will be key to future global development.

Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator

Science Diplomacy: an opportunity for Geneva (Fondation pour Genève)

Coral reefs as bridge-builders (FDFA website)

Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques (Côte d’Ivoire)

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