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.” ...