Since the start of this century, science diplomacy has developed into a recognised field of international relations, connecting technology and innovation, diplomatic practice and scholarship. To understand its last two decades of development, it is essential to first acknowledge that the practice of science diplomacy largely predates its formal theorisation. For instance, the era of European and American voyages of scientific exploration, which followed the Age of Discovery, was inspired by the Enlightenment’s confidence in science and reason. Other notable examples include Matteo Ricci’s establishment of astronomical observatories in 16th-century China, Napoleon Bonaparte’s scientific expeditions beginning in 1798, the British scientific networks of the Victorian Empire, and the post–World War II founding of institutions such as UNESCO, CERN, and SESAME.

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