As a member of the MCAA Policy Working Group and the current Science Diplomacy task force leader, I moderated a panel discussion on Science Diplomacy at the annual conference of the Marie Curie Alumni Association, held in April 2026 in Brussels. The session explored how researcher networks can inform political agendas, translate community-driven evidence into actionable policy insights, and preserve a stable space for collaboration during significant geopolitical disruptions.
It featured three insightful, well-prepared speakers who approached the topic from different institutional and regional perspectives: Jan Marco Müller, the coordinator of science diplomacy at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation; Luisa F. Echeverría-King, the president of the Organization of Women in Science in the Developing World of UNESCO; and Mostafa Moonir Shawrav, who represented MCAA as Executive Director and former Chair of the MCAA and EU Science Diplomacy Alliance.