CeNAT Chair in Costa Rica promotes science-policy dialogue

The National Center for High Technology (CeNAT), a program of the National Council of Rectors (CONARE), held a new edition of the CeNAT Chair dedicated to scientific diplomacy, consolidating itself as a meeting place for experts, diplomats, and academics to strengthen the links between science, politics, and international cooperation. 

The event was attended by Foreign Minister Arnoldo André Tinoco and diplomatic representatives from Germany, China, Colombia, El Salvador, Pakistan, Paraguay, the Dominican Republic, Switzerland, Türkiye, and the European Union, reflecting international interest in promoting scientific diplomacy as a strategic tool for addressing global challenges. 

In this context, Marcella Ohira, Deputy Executive Director of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), underscored the importance of regional collaboration in the face of global challenges such as climate change and sustainability. She emphasized that countries need multinational alliances based on scientific evidence to design joint solutions, thus highlighting the value of science as a bridge between governments and communities. 

During the session, José Vega Baudrit, Acting Director General of CeNAT, and Ronald Alvarado, Acting Director of OPES-CONARE, agreed on the need to articulate science and public policy as fundamental axes for sustainable development and on scientific diplomacy as a fundamental tool for doing so. The event included a tribute to Ambassador Carmen Claramunt, member of the Advisory Council of the IAI's Science Diplomacy Center, in recognition of her outstanding career in integrating science into Costa Rica’s foreign policy and her contributions to multilateral organizations such as the United Nations and UNESCO. 

The CeNAT Chair is a permanent forum for dialogue on strategic issues in science, technology, and innovation, such as the circular economy in Argentina and quantum physics at CERN. This meeting marks a decisive step forward for Costa Rica in building an international agenda and for regional actors such as the IAI to continue strengthening science diplomacy as a driver of integration and resilience in the Americas.