Science and technology and soft power: a US and Europe perspective

• Grant number: 16/08684-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: August 15, 2016
• End date: June 14, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Political Science - International Politics
• Principal Investigator: Janina Onuki
• Grantee: Amanda Almeida Domingues
• Supervisor: John Krige
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Georgia Institute of Technology, United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 14/26005-1 - Foreign Policy and Science Diplomacy: development and international insertion., BP.DR

Abstract

This research proposal is a derivation from the PhD research project already approved by FAPESP. The intention of this proposal is to outline one of the thesis specific objectives, arguing that it should be carried out in a foreign university. The internship abroad main goal is to identify, define and analyze the tools used by states to strengthen and implement Science Diplomacy (SD) strategies, which can be understood as the process by which states represent themselves and their interests in the international arena when it comes to areas of knowledge. The research will focus on the cases of the United States and selected European countries, since the beginning of the Cold War in the 1950's, when lots of conflicts existed, which meant a lot of room for using S&T as a bridge between nations. The hypothesis is that the degree of S&T development is related to the variety of S&T tools used as soft power tools in countries' foreign policy. Countries with higher scientific excellence, such as the United States and the United Kingdom, use a wider range of S&T tools in their SD strategy, and determine these strategies based on issues of multilateral nature. This project consists of a qualitative study and its research design consists of two elements: a descriptive one and a comparative one. The research will rely in a comprehensive literature review, as well as in document analysis from historical archives and truth tables produced in accordance with the Qualitative Comparative Analysis method. (AU)