"Science Diplomacy: Results from a Three-Year Pilot" by Daniel B. Oerther
 

Science Diplomacy: Results from a Three-Year Pilot

Abstract

An entirely novel course was developed to teach science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) diplomacy to engineering students. The course uses blended delivery, a flipped format, and modified mastery learning with a buffet approach to assign final grades. The course has been piloted for three semesters to a total of 35 dual-level (seniors and first year graduate) students pursuing a baccalaureate degree in environmental or civil engineering or a graduate degree in environmental or civil engineering. The course introduces the three pillars of "science diplomacy" as described in the New Frontiers in Science Diplomacy report published in 2010 by the Royal Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, including: 1) science-in-diplomacy; 2) diplomacy-for-science; and 3) science-for-diplomacy. During the semester, students conduct policy analyses of case studies including: 1) the Lower Mekong River Initiative of the United States; 2) the Antarctic Treaty as described by the Royal Geographical Society; 3) the Make the Planet Great Again campaign of France; and 4) HIV/AIDS treatment in South Africa as described by Harvard Law School. Each policy analysis follows Bardach's eightfold path, including: 1) problem definition; 2) collecting evidence; 3) brainstorming alternatives; 4) identifying criteria; 5) future-casting outcomes; 6) considering trade-offs; 7) committing to a decision; and 8) telling a story to secure support and buy-in. Two unique aspects of this course include the performance of a model United Nations debate, and the completion of a personal application for a fellowship in policy or diplomacy. The purpose of this article is to share: 1) the course content and format; 2) an analysis of the results of student evaluations from three complete offerings of the pilot course; and 3) personal experience gained by the instructor teaching policy (in this case, science diplomacy) to engineers.

Department(s)

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering

Comments

American Society for Engineering Education, Grant None

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

2153-5965

Document Type

Article - Conference proceedings

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2024 American Society of Engineering Education, All rights reserved.

Publication Date

26 Jul 2021

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