On June 26th, 2024, the President of the Scientific Council of the Institute of Advanced Studies for the Culture and Civilization of the Levant, Professor Emil Constantinescu, addressed the panel dedicated to Science Diplomacy to Support Human Security & Sustainable Development held as part of the 64th Annual Conference organized by the World Academy of Art & Science (WAAS).
Hosted in an online format, this year's edition of the World Academy's Annual Conference was held over two stages, with the first taking place between the 15th and 16th of May and the second between the 26th and 27th of June 2024.
The conference proceedings of June 26th were held over two parallel panel sessions that were streamed live via the Zoom platform. The debates focused on themes of major importance, tackled from the generous framework of a “human security” perspective that the World Academy of Art & Science proposes as a foundation for forward-looking and impactful international policy. Consequently, the conference panels focused on discussing topics such as Science Diplomacy to Support Human Security & Sustainable Development;Existential Risks: Threats and Solutions;AI for Education;Educating Business and Technology Leaders for a Sustainable Future;AI: Tapping Emerging Opportunities;AI, Brain, Mind, Thinking and Consciousness & Human Development, or Toward a Transdisciplinary Theory of Change and Process of Social Evolution.
The next day of proceedings, June 27th, was devoted entirely to the plenary sessions of the General Assembly of the World Academy of Art & Science: TheVoice of Youth; Observations, Insights and Opportunities for the Future; Programs and Projects: Fundraising Proposals; Invitations for Future Programs and Partnerships; and Membership Communications and Engagement.
The panel attended by the President of the Scientific Council of the Institute of Advanced Studies for the Culture and Civilization of the Levant was moderated by MoneefZou'bi, Scientific Advisor of the InterAction Council and Professor Phoebe Kondouri, Athens University of Economics. The discussions focused on the ways in which humanity might deploy science diplomacy as a lynchpin for human security. In today’s polarized world, where human security and well-being are threatened by political upheavals and escalating military conflicts, science diplomacy can play a crucial role in uniting the efforts of scientists, national academies and governments, younger generations and civil society to stem social decline. Addressing these concerns were Jinfeng Zhou, Secretary-general of the Foundation for Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development of the People’s Republic of China, Maricela Muñoz, Fellow of the GenevaCentre for Security Policy and Professor Emil Constantinescu, President of the Scientific Council of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Levant Culture and Civilization. In his intervention on the responsibility of academia in promoting science diplomacy, Professor Constantinescu highlighted that,
"In preparing this panel, we were asked to come up with solutions instead of problems. In order to be able to propose viable solutions, we need to start from the problems of the academic environment, not from the promise of successes that have, in fact, proved illusory. The failure of academia to influence society at the beginning of the 21st century raises the question I have to ask myself, as someone who has spent more than half a century in academia: where have the scholars of the 21st century gone wrong?
is there any real prestige for scholars in society today? Is their voice still important? In a universally connected social networking world, who has the power to influence how things get done? And what is it that we, as practicing pedagogues in higher education, actually want? Do we wish to offer youths information, or impart them knowledge? Do we wish to instil a spirit of confrontation, or dialogue? At the end of the day, are we preparing professional careers, or are we building strong characters? And, will we be capable of deploying our extensive experience to these ends?”
