In 2012, Konarzewski and Żebrowska did not imagine Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. With unthinkable new challenges facing Eastern Europe, these authors emphasize how lessons of science diplomacy of the Cold War should not be forgotten.

In 2012, Campbell was cautiously optimistic about the potential of science diplomacy to engage countries with whom formal relations were strained. Despite major geopolitical changes, she still believes this and is eager to see its power put to use.

Sir Chris Llewellyn Smith reviews how research facilities like CERN and SESAME foster international cooperation where relations are strained. With today’s complex geopolitics, he stresses the need for scientific collaboration across divides.

The former U.S. Representative emphasizes the areas where science diplomacy has allowed Congress to create positive change and pushes for its continued use to address the many challenges the U.S. and the world are facing today.

Science & Diplomacy gathered four perspectives of U.S. scientists and former diplomats who have spent several decades involved in scientific collaboration with the USSR, Russia, Ukraine, and post-Soviet states.

This article focuses on a small number of important collaborative activities between the U.S. and the USSR and Russia. Most of the following examples are based on Schweitzer's experience as the first science attaché at the U.S. embassy in Moscow (1963–66); first executive director of the team that carried out the U.S. launch of the International Science and Technology Center in Moscow (1992–94); and director for programs in Eastern Europe and Eurasia at the National Academies (1985–92) and (1994–present).

The European Union and Russia are working together to identify and solve shared societal challenges through scientific collaborations, even during times of political tension.

How a science diplomat’s career was influenced by things he learned from his father: a shared commitment to solving a problem is the bedrock of a friendship, life is not linear, and change requires challenging the orthodoxy.

Health diplomacy has been a feature of U.S.-Russian relations since the Cold War.  Deeper engagement, with closer public and private sector cooperation, will alleviate global suffering and contribute to a more stable world.

The International Space Station, with partners that surmount their cultural, organizational, and political differences to pursue a collective vision, serves as a model of science diplomacy.

To end our first year, Science & Diplomacy introduces a new category, "Letter from the Field," to share more personal science diplomacy stories. In the first, Jason Rao recounts his experiences in engaging a former bioweapons facility in Russia.