A course of STGS for the AI4Gov-X Programme (FAU-1-04-26-E)
Course Overview
Title
Science Diplomacy and AI: Interactive Seminar
Dates
12-14 October + 10 November 2026.
Location
Werner-von-Siemens-Str. 61, 3rd floor, room No. 03.17, 91052 Erlangen, Germany
Delivery Mode
Blended: 3 days on site, final day online
Hours
On site 12-14 October: Monday – Wednesday, 9am to 5pm. Online 10. November: Tuesday 10am – 4pm.
The final session will take place online one month later, on Tuesday, 10 November, from 10am to 4pm
Evaluation
Oral presentation
Qualification
A Certificate of Attendance will be awarded by the STGS Chair upon successful completion of the course.
Mandatory Attendance: 90%
Language
English
Price
1500€
You can apply for refunding of 50% of your costs. For more information, check here: https://ai4gov-x.eu/bid-to-our-open-calls/
Deadlines
Registrations are open until 7/9/2026, 23:59
Short Description
This course explores the theory and practice of science and technology diplomacy in a rapidly evolving global landscape, with a particular focus on the rise of full-stack artificial intelligence. It examines how scientific knowledge, technological infrastructures, and digital innovation shape international relations, policy-making, and cooperation on transnational challenges such as cybersecurity, and digital governance.
Building on the foundations of science diplomacy, the course positions AI not only as a strategic technology under diplomatic negotiation, but also as a complex socio-technical stack spanning materials, data, models, semiconductor manufacturing, computing infrastructure, communications, applications, deployment, and governance. Participants will analyze how AI systems are designed, scaled, and governed across borders, and how these processes influence geopolitical competition, regulatory debates, scientific collaboration, and technological sovereignty.
The course also investigates the role of AI as both an object and an instrument of diplomacy. On the one hand, it addresses questions of ethics, standards, safety, regulation, and power asymmetries in the global AI ecosystem. On the other, it considers how AI tools are reshaping diplomatic practice itself, from data analysis and strategic foresight to negotiation support and evidence-based decision-making.
Through case studies, scenario-building, and interactive discussions, participants will gain insight into how scientists, engineers, policymakers, and diplomats engage with the full AI value chain in order to navigate complex global issues. The course emphasizes interdisciplinary and practice-oriented approaches, highlighting both tensions and opportunities at the intersection of AI, scientific cooperation, and international affairs.
By the end of the course, participants will develop a critical understanding of how full-stack AI is both transforming science and tech diplomacy and being transformed by international relationships, and acquire conceptual and practical tools to engage effectively in this emerging field.
Intended Learning Outcomes
1. Analyse the role of science and technology diplomacy in addressing global challenges, and explain its main dimensions—science in diplomacy, diplomacy for science, and science for diplomacy—in a context increasingly shaped by AI and digital technologies.
2. Evaluate how full-stack AI influences international relations, geopolitical competition, regulatory debates, and technological sovereignty across the different layers of the AI value chain.
3. Critically assess the ethical, regulatory, and strategic implications of AI both as a subject of diplomatic negotiation and as a tool that transforms diplomatic practice.
4. Apply interdisciplinary methods and evidence-based reasoning to examine case studies, scenarios, stakeholders, and policy challenges at the intersection of AI, science, and international affairs, and communicate complex issues effectively to policy and diplomatic audiences.
Educational programme
Content
This module introduces the foundations of science and technology diplomacy, tracing its evolution from classical science diplomacy to current debates shaped by digital transformation and AI. It explores the three core dimensions—science in diplomacy, diplomacy for science, and science for diplomacy—and examines how scientific expertise, technological systems, and international cooperation address cross-border challenges. The module also situates AI as both a strategic technology and a diplomatic issue.
Teaching hours
1 session of 2 hours
Delivery mode
On-site
Specific competences
- Explain the main dimensions and functions of science and technology diplomacy.
- Identify key actors, institutions, and arenas in international scientific and technological cooperation.
- Relate digital and AI issues to the evolution of diplomacy.
Content
This module examines AI as a driver of geopolitical competition in a multipolar world. It explores how states, regional blocs, and firms compete over technological leadership, standards, supply chains, talent, and regulation. Particular attention is given to technological sovereignty, strategic dependencies, global asymmetries, and the ways AI reshapes international power relations. The module also considers the diplomatic implications of competing governance models for AI.
Teaching hours
1 session of 1 hour
Delivery mode
On-site
Specific competences
- Analyse how AI affects international power dynamics and geopolitical competition
- Assess the implications of technological sovereignty and dependency.
- Compare national and regional approaches to AI development and governance.
Content
This module focuses on the material foundations of AI, examining the critical raw materials and extractive supply chains that underpin the production of advanced technologies. It explores the geopolitical, environmental, and ethical implications of access to minerals and rare earth elements essential for hardware manufacturing, as well as the diplomatic tensions associated with resource dependency, trade concentration, sustainability, and global inequality. The module highlights how the physical basis of AI is deeply embedded in international political economy and global governance debates.
Teaching hours
1 session of 1 hour
Delivery mode
On-site
Specific competences
- Identify the strategic importance of raw materials in the AI value chain.
- Assess the geopolitical and sustainability implications of material dependencies.
- Connect resource governance issues to broader science and technology diplomacy debates.
Content
This module examines semiconductor manufacturing as a critical chokepoint in the global AI ecosystem. It covers the role of chips in enabling advanced AI systems, the concentration of production capacity, and the strategic significance of semiconductor design, fabrication, and export controls. Students will analyse how semiconductor supply chains affect global competition, diplomatic negotiations, industrial policy, and security concerns. The module also explores how control over semiconductor capabilities is increasingly central to debates on autonomy, resilience, and global technological leadership.
Teaching hours
1 session of 1 hour
Delivery mode
On-site
Specific competences
- Explain the strategic role of semiconductors in the development of AI systems.
- Analyse how semiconductor supply chains influence international relations and diplomacy.
- Evaluate policy responses to technological concentration and supply chain vulnerability.
Content
This module introduces foresight methods as tools for analysing uncertainty and supporting strategic decision-making in science and tech diplomacy. Students will learn how to construct plausible future scenarios around AI development, global governance, supply chain disruptions, or technological fragmentation, and how to use backcasting to identify pathways, policy choices, and institutional actions required to achieve preferred futures. The module emphasizes structured thinking, interdisciplinary reasoning, and the use of scenarios as diplomatic and governance instruments.
Teaching hours
1 session of 2 hours
Delivery mode
On-site
Specific competences
- Apply scenario-building methods to emerging AI and technology policy issues.
- Use backcasting to connect long-term futures with present-day policy choices.
- Develop strategic reasoning under conditions of uncertainty and complexity.
Content
This module addresses the infrastructural layer of AI, focusing on compute capacity, cloud infrastructures, high-performance computing, and data spaces as key enablers of model development and deployment. It explores how access to computational resources and trusted data ecosystems shapes scientific collaboration, digital sovereignty, innovation capacity, and cross-border cooperation. The module also discusses tensions between openness and control, data sharing and protection, and the role of public and private actors in building AI-ready infrastructures.
Teaching hours
1 session of 1 hour
Delivery mode
On-site
Specific competences
- Analyse the role of compute and data infrastructures in the global AI ecosystem.
- Assess the diplomatic and policy implications of data sharing, access, and sovereignty.
- Examine how infrastructure asymmetries shape innovation and international cooperation.
Content
This module explores the communications and cybersecurity dimensions of AI, including network infrastructures, secure data transmission, cyber resilience, and the vulnerabilities created by increasingly interconnected AI systems. It considers how communication architectures and cybersecurity risks affect trust, operational continuity, and international stability. The module also examines cyber diplomacy, standards, strategic deterrence, and the governance challenges raised by AI-enabled cyber capabilities and disinformation.
Teaching hours
1 session of 1 hour
Delivery mode
Blended
Specific competences
- Assess the importance of secure communications and cybersecurity in AI systems.
- Analyse the diplomatic and strategic implications of AI-related cyber risks.
- Identify governance challenges linked to trust, resilience, and digital security.
Content
This module focuses on AI governance at national, regional, and international levels. It examines debates around ethics, safety, accountability, standards, regulation, and institutional coordination, while comparing governance models across the globe. Students will explore how AI becomes an object of diplomacy through negotiations over norms, risk management, human rights, market regulation, and global rule-setting. The module emphasizes the interaction between technical design, public policy, and international governance frameworks.
Teaching hours
1 session of 1 hour
Delivery mode
Online
Specific competences
- Evaluate major governance approaches to AI at national and international levels.
- Critically assess ethical, regulatory, and institutional challenges related to AI.
- Formulate informed positions on standards, safety, and global rule-making for AI.
Content
This module introduces students to the development of concise, evidence-based policy briefs for decision-makers. Students learn how to translate complex AI governance challenges into clear policy problems, evaluate strategic options, and formulate actionable recommendations tailored to policymakers. Through practical exercises, they develop skills in structuring arguments, communicating uncertainty, and presenting technically informed yet accessible analyses that can support policy and governance decisions.
Teaching hours
1 session of 2.5 hours
Delivery mode
On-site
Specific competences
- Identify and frame AI governance challenges.
- Synthesize complex technical and geopolitical information into concise policy analyses.
- Evaluate policy options.
Content
This final module is dedicated to the presentation and discussion of student-developed scenarios and strategic responses. Participants will pitch their scenarios, policy implications, and backcasting pathways to a simulated audience of policymakers, diplomats, and technical stakeholders. The session is designed to consolidate the course by linking conceptual knowledge, geopolitical analysis, infrastructural understanding, and governance thinking in a practice-oriented exercise. It also strengthens students’ ability to communicate complex AI-related issues clearly and persuasively to non-specialist and decision-making audiences.
The module also introduces practical aspects of policy design and implementation in science and technology diplomacy, with an applied input on policy-making practices.
Teaching hours
1 session of 2.5 hours
Delivery mode
On-Site
Specific competences
- Synthesize complex course content into coherent and plausible future scenarios.
- Communicate AI-related strategic and policy issues effectively to diverse audiences.
- Defend evidence-based arguments in a simulated diplomatic or policy setting.
Content
Building on the feedback received during the scenario presentations, students prepare a concise policy memo that refines their strategic recommendations and implementation pathway. During the online session, they present and defend their recommendations in response to questions from instructors and peers, simulating a policy advisory meeting where proposals must withstand critical scrutiny.
Teaching hours
1 session of 5 hours
Delivery mode
Online
Specific competences
- Revise policy recommendations based on feedback.
- Justify strategic decisions with evidence. Defend policy choices in a structured discussion.
- Respond effectively to critical questions from diverse stakeholders.
Leading lecturers
Prof. Dr. Maria Rentetzi:
Chair of Science, Technology & Gender Studies, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg.
Specializes in diplomatic studies of science, history and sociology of modern physical sciences,
history of radiation protection. ERC Grantee and international advisor on science diplomacy. Editor
of the Brepols Science Diplomacy series.
Prof. Dr. Claudio Feijóo:
Jean Monnet Chair in Technology Diplomacy & Digital Sovereignty, UPM
Madrid. His research focuses on AI governance, digital policy, and the geopolitical dimensions of
emerging technologies, with extensive field experience across the digital policy ecosystems of China
and Europe. He coordinates the EU expert group on digital technologies in China and co-leads
AI4Gov-X (EU).
Dr. Casimiro Vizzini:
Senior Manager for Health, Africa-Europe Foundation (AEF), and Expert in
UNESCO’s Science Policy & Capacity-Building Division. Medical doctor with a Master’s in
International Cooperation (IRIS, Paris), specializing in science diplomacy and global health
governance.
Additional Information
Who can Participate?
The programme is designed for participants from all disciplinary backgrounds, including graduate and doctoral students, postdoctoral researchers, academics, and researchers. It also welcomes professionals at different career stages—from early-career specialists to senior executives—with responsibilities in governance, policy, innovation, strategy, and decision-making. The programme is particularly relevant for civil servants, policymakers, public sector professionals, and employees of partner organisations such as Siemens.
Applicants from all disciplinary backgrounds are welcome. No prior technical expertise in AI is required, although familiarity with international affairs, public policy, science and technology, or related fields is beneficial.
Responsible Director: Prof. Maria Rentetzi
Administrative Coordinator: Ariadne Papageorgiou
Communication Coordinator: Emil Fischer
Local Scientific Coordinator: Myrto Dimitrokali