Education and Science Diplomacy – a brief definition.
As you know from our various challenges, there are many issues facing countries around the world that cannot be solved alone but require international collaboration in education, science and research. Education and science form a bridge between nations and foster their cooperation and understanding of each other. That is what YES! BRIDGE does. We connect you with scientists from Germany so that on the one hand you can learn more about their work and on the other hand they can get a different perspective from you, not only as the younger generation but also from the culture of your country. The results are the basis for a trusting relationship and a part of international policy based on scientific evidence.

The three Elements of Education and Science Diplomacy
There are three crucial elements for this kind of diplomacy that should enhance your understanding of it.

Connect: To connect people worldwide through education and science promotes their understanding of each other and brings them closer together. Cultural differences recede into the background because the collaborative work is based on international scientific standards.

Inform: Every country faces various challenges at different scales – whether local, regional or global. In our today’s society, policymakers must base competent decisions on reliable data and scientific results. Therefore, science is an essential foundation for evidence-based policy. It informs about cause and effect and provides concrete political advice and options for action. In the YES! you get the chance to use the platform for your results and solution ideas to present these to other school teams and decision-makers from society, economy and politics.

Enable: The YES! project enables you, as the next generation, to find your own solution ideas for urgent challenges of today and tomorrow. This happens through your work and the exchange with scientists of renowned institutes of Germany in the kick-off meeting and the expert talk. To reach your final goal, we provide you with various learning modules during the competition, and through your exchange with the scientists, you get first knowledge about scientific methods. However, in the end, it’s up to you to start the political discourse to get your idea to the decision-makers.

Source:

Federal Ministry of Education and Research. (n.d.). Education and science diplomacy. Retrieved December 01, 2021, from https://www.bmbf.de/bmbf/de/europa-und-die-welt/vernetzung-weltweit/bildungs-und-wissenschaftsdiplomatie/bildungs-und-wissenschaftsdiplomatie.html