[December 14, 2020 / Cambridge MA] Today, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences is releasing a new publication, America and the Future of International Science, that presents the case for robust U.S. support for and participation in international scientific collaborations.
The report is timely. During the COVID-19 pandemic, America's engagement with international science has involved retreats and advances. The U.S. government has withdrawn from the global scientific community and reduced its standing while, at the same time, American scientists were working internationally at unprecedented levels, including on a vaccine just approved to fight COVID-19 in the U.S. that was developed by U.S. and German companies working together.
America and the Future of International Science is the first publication of the Academy’s Challenges for International Scientific Partnerships project, which is cochaired by Arthur Bienenstock (Stanford) and Peter Michelson (Stanford). The report identifies major benefits of international collaboration and sets forth recommendations for scientific collaboration with China. Sections within the report explore, and provide examples for, these advantages of America engaging in international scientific collaboration:
- Addressing global challenges
- Sustaining a strong STEM workforce
- Boosting U.S. economic competitiveness
- Protecting U.S. national security
- Addressing funding concerns
- Building ethical norms and scientific guidelines
A special section of the report, addressing scientific collaboration within strained diplomatic relations, offers recommendations for the U.S. to wisely balance and manage both collaboration and competition with China. The report calls for robust scientific collaboration between American and Chinese researchers, including through visa policies that would encourage Chinese nationals to study and reside in the United States, while ensuring adherence to domestic university policies.
Academy President David Oxtoby said America and the Future of International Science is “timely and vital for scientific leaders and policy-makers now and in the years to come.” The report is online in its entirety and print copies can be ordered.
[The report was discussed at an event with project cochairs Bienenstock and Michelson, who were joined by Shirley Malcom (American Association for the Advancement of Science) and Olufunmilayo Olopade (University of Chicago) who cochair the initiative’s working group on collaborations with Emerging Science Partners.]