Science and technology now sit at the center of foreign policy, from artificial intelligence and biotechnology to climate and critical supply chains. Ministries of foreign affairs have responded by appointing envoys, creating dedicated offices and drawing on a growing ecosystem of think tanks and university programs. Yet a less visible question will shape whether these investments pay off: how does expert knowledge reach the diplomats who need it, when they need it?
A 2024 article in Global Policy, “Strengthening links between science and technology experts and frontline diplomats to address science diplomacy challenges“, addresses this question directly. Its authors are Blake Su, Jean-Christophe Mauduit, Douglas Momberg and Lee E. Voth-Gaeddert, from Arizona State University, University College London and the University of the Witwatersrand. Rather than asking what diplomats should know, they examine how knowledge travels from experts to embassies, and where it gets stuck.
The core argument
The pace of scientific and technological change has direct consequences for foreign policy. Yet frontline diplomats, those serving in embassies, consulates and other missions abroad, work under heavy daily demands. Acquiring, retaining and applying the latest scientific knowledge is difficult for them, even when ministries hold considerable expertise.
To bridge this gap, foreign ministries rely mainly on established channels: reports, briefings, training and consultations. The authors argue that these channels often fail to match the timelines, workflows and information systems of diplomats at post. Much attention in science diplomacy goes to new policy topics. Far less goes to improving the way knowledge is delivered. The authors call for this “point of transfer” to be treated as a priority for innovation in its own right.
Key takeaways
Where the gap is widest
Using the US Foreign Service as a case study, the authors show that large embassies working on long-term objectives can generally find the expertise they need. Access becomes much harder in four situations: small posts, such as those in island states, where a few officers cover a wide range of issues; requests with short deadlines, including emergencies and responses to developments in the host country; topics that fall outside the expertise of available specialists; and cases where local context, format or timing are decisive. In these conditions, a report running to hundreds of pages, or a formal consultation process, offers limited help.
A framework for knowledge transfer
The article proposes a three-stage framework. First, a country generates scientific and technical knowledge through its universities, companies, non-profit organizations and government agencies. Second, that knowledge is transferred to frontline diplomats. Third, diplomats apply it to advance national needs, address cross-border interests or respond to global challenges. The second stage is the critical bottleneck. The authors propose a clear measure of progress: the “speed of transfer”, or the time between when knowledge is produced and when a diplomat can put it to use.
Six channels between experts and diplomats
The authors group existing and potential approaches into six categories, each with traditional and alternative options:
- Training, from university degrees and internal courses to renewable certificates, virtual reality classrooms and policy design studios that simulate embassy work.
- Written material, from think tank reports and policy briefs to interactive data and better organization of the large volume of diplomatic cables.
- Short-term external experts, from consulting contracts and studies by the National Academies to models such as the State Department’s Diplomacy Lab, which engages university faculty and students each semester.
- Experts embedded in diplomatic teams, through programs such as the Jefferson Science Fellowship, with a call to place more fellows in embassies abroad rather than only at headquarters.
- Experts on call, from the Science Envoy Program to an “ask-a-scientist” service modeled on that of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or a diplomatic reserve corps that can provide additional capacity when needed.
- AI-assisted synthesis, including large language models designed for diplomats to produce rapid overviews of complex scientific topics.
A measured view of AI
The authors recognize the potential of AI tools to help non-specialist diplomats understand complex subjects quickly. They also caution that introducing new software into complex institutions requires care. Many of the most valuable improvements, they note, lie in less visible areas: better training, more usable written material and simpler ways to reach the right expert.
Start small, test fast
Rather than waiting for large-scale reform, the authors encourage ministries and their partners to pilot ideas on a small scale. Former diplomats and serving staff at posts abroad can act as “mini testbeds”, allowing many ideas to be tested quickly and those that do not work to be set aside early. Their recommendations address three groups:
- Foreign ministries should review the tools they use to connect experts with diplomats and invest where those tools are weakest.
- Think tanks and research organizations should assess whether the way they share research fits how diplomats actually work.
- Practitioners and project managers should build networks of partners and resources to design and test new tools.
The TDGI perspective
At TDGI, we see the capacity of diplomats to access and apply expertise as one of the defining conditions for effective tech diplomacy. Appointing envoys and establishing new offices are important steps. Their impact, however, depends on whether diplomats across the network can obtain clear and reliable expertise at the moment it matters.
Although the article focuses on the United States, the challenge it describes applies to foreign ministries everywhere. It is especially relevant for countries with smaller diplomatic networks and limited specialist staff. The authors’ framework offers a practical way for any ministry to examine its own system: where expertise gets stuck, and how long it takes to reach those who need it.
The article also points to science diaspora networks as a way to strengthen links between host countries and frontline diplomats. This reflects a conviction at the heart of TDGI’s work: effective tech diplomacy depends on lasting partnerships between governments, universities, the private sector and the wider innovation ecosystem.
Looking ahead
As technology continues to reshape international relations, the question is no longer whether diplomats need access to expertise, but how that access can be made faster, more targeted and more reliable. Governments, research institutions and technology partners each have a role to play in designing and testing better solutions. We encourage diplomats, policymakers, researchers and science and technology experts in our community to read the article and share it with their teams. We would also welcome hearing from colleagues who have tested new approaches to bringing expertise to diplomats.
Citation: Su, B., Mauduit, J.-C., Momberg, D., & Voth-Gaeddert, L. E. (2024). Strengthening links between science and technology experts and frontline diplomats to address science diplomacy challenges. Global Policy, 15(5), 928–936. https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.13418