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President Şeker Chaired the Session on Science Diplomacy in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

TÜBA's program at the 2025 InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) Triennial Conference and General Assembly in Cairo, Egypt, was moderated by TÜBA President Prof. Dr. Muzaffer Şeker.

The session demonstrated that science diplomacy in the age of artificial intelligence has evolved beyond a purely technical field into a new model of cooperation encompassing multidimensional elements such as the circulation of knowledge, ethical compliance, global equality, resource sharing, and combating disinformation. TÜBA Member and AASSA President Prof. Dr. Ahmet Nuri Yurdusev, Prof. Dr. Zeliha Tufan, Prof. Dr. Ercan Öztemel, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mürsel Doğrul spoke at the session.

In his opening speech, Prof. Dr. Şeker emphasized that international cooperation, ethical governance, and trust-building have become the focus of science diplomacy in the global scientific environment, which is rapidly being transformed by artificial intelligence. Stating that artificial intelligence creates new diplomatic responsibilities with its complex ethical, social, and security dimensions while increasing scientific capacity, President Şeker noted that the IAP platform plays a critical role in inter-academic coordination in this process.

Speaking at the session, TÜBA Member and President of the Association of Academies and Societies of Sciences in Asia-AASSA (Association of Academies and Societies of Sciences in Asia-AASSA), Prof. Dr. Ahmet Nuri Yurdusev, assessed the historical relationship between classical diplomatic traditions and contemporary science diplomacy, stating that inter-academic cooperation in Asia is of strategic importance, particularly in the fields of health, disaster management, climate, and digital transformation. “Even if technology changes, norms, identities, and power relations remain the same. Therefore, science diplomacy must be conducted with historical awareness and a civilizational perspective,” he said.

Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University Professor Dr. Zeliha Kocak Tufan highlighted the decisive role of science diplomacy during times of crisis. She stated that the Middle East Academic Heritage Protection Project, carried out under the auspices of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye, could serve as a best practice example for science diplomacy, as it introduces support mechanisms for refugee academics and researchers to the world. Referring to Türkiye's experiences of interdisciplinary cooperation during the pandemic, Tufan stated that realistic actions must be taken to ensure the continuity of interdisciplinary, international, and intergenerational bridges, saying, “Strengthening global ties requires action; scientists must play a greater role in diplomacy, and policymakers, diplomats, and academics must act together.”

Prof. Dr. Ercan Öztemel from Marmara University stated that artificial intelligence is both a tool and a subject of diplomatic negotiation in science diplomacy. He conveyed that AI-based solutions such as joint modeling, early warning systems, and multilingual communication strengthen international cooperation, drawing attention to data inequality, systemic biases, security vulnerabilities, and the threat of misinformation. He stated, “Transparency, accountability, inclusivity, and security are indispensable for reliable artificial intelligence.”

TÜBA Young Academy Representative Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mürsel Doğrul noted that artificial intelligence has fundamentally transformed the daily work practices of young researchers. Stating that artificial intelligence tools create opportunities as well as ethical and inequality-based risks, Doğrul emphasized the increased need for scientific integrity, data protection, transparency, and ethics education. He underscored that young academies need to take on more visible responsibility in AI governance, stating, “Young scientists should not only be users of artificial intelligence but also actors shaping its ethical framework.”

After the session, Prof. Şeker met with Prof. Dr. Ismail Serageldin, Founding Director of the Library of Alexandria in Egypt and former Vice President of the World Bank, and Prof. Dr. Gina Samy El-Feky, President of the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology of Egypt (ASRT). Following the meeting, Prof. Şeker presented Prof. Serageldin and Prof. El-Feky with the work Osmanlı Müellifleri (Ottoman Authors), which was first published in Turkish and later in Arabic within the scope of the Turkish Islamic Science and Cultural Heritage (TİBKM) Project. He also presented Dr. Vaughan Turekian, Director of the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, with two of TÜBA’s recent prominent publications: G8–G20 Joint Statements from Science Academies to World Leaders and Science Diplomacy for Global Challenges.