OCT 19 — The inaugural ambassadorial lecture at UCSI University, delivered by Professor Tshilidzi Marwala, Rector of the United Nations University in Tokyo, could not have been more timely.
In an era defined by seismic shifts—from the climate crisis to the AI revolution—his focus on “science diplomacy” strikes at the very heart of our global predicament.
We are navigating a perilous convergence: a world in desperate need of collective, evidence-based action is simultaneously fragmenting into islands of nationalism, distrust, and intellectual isolation.
The International Institute of Science Diplomacy and Sustainability at UCSI, IISDS, led by Tan Sri Zakri Abdul Hamid, a biodiversity diplomat, is fast gaining recognition as the regional centre for discourses in science diplomacy.
Professor Marwala’s central concern—the growing distrust in science—is the foundational crack in our global architecture. We saw this during the pandemic, and we see it now, daily, in the climate debate.
Just when the scientific consensus on global warming is most robust and the data most terrifying, a corrosive scepticism, often politically motivated, has taken root.
A major global emitter of carbon has openly called climate change a hoax. Leaving the global Paris Agreement for the second time is a major upset as the world struggles to rein in global warming.
This isn’t merely an academic disagreement; it is a direct threat to our collective security. It is an irresponsible act of the highest level.
The future of humanity is at stake here. When facts become negotiable, policy becomes paralysed. We argue over the existence of the fire while the house fills with smoke.
Compounding this crisis of trust is the very engine of our progress: technology.
Artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and automation are disrupting economies at a breathtaking pace, creating winners and losers and fuelling societal anxiety.
This anxiety, left unaddressed, is a fertile ground for the rise of the second spectre Professor Marwala raised: protectionism and deglobalisation.
The impulse to retreat is understandable. When faced with dizzying change and economic uncertainty, the siren song of building walls—tariff walls, border walls, digital walls—can seem appealing.
It promises control, security, and a return to a simpler past. But this is a dangerous illusion.
The challenges we face are inherently borderless. A carbon molecule released in Indonesia contributes to sea-level rise threatening Miami.
A virus in one continent can bring the global economy to its knees. A cyber-attack launched from a single room can disrupt a nation’s infrastructure.
In this interconnected world, protectionism is not a shield; it is a straitjacket.
It stifles the very innovation we need, cutting off the flow of knowledge, talent, and collaboration that solves complex problems.
Deglobalisation doesn’t make these problems disappear; it simply ensures we are poorer, less coordinated, and more vulnerable when they inevitably hit.
This is why the concept of science diplomacy is not just an academic nicety—it is an urgent strategic imperative.
It must become the new grammar of international relations. Science diplomacy argues that shared scientific challenges can create pathways for cooperation where politics alone fails.
It means using science as a neutral convening power: Joint missions to monitor Arctic ice melt, international consortia for particle physics research (like CERN), and collaborative efforts to map the human genome have historically brought rival nations together.
We need more of this. A global pandemic treaty or a coordinated framework for AI ethics, built on scientific principles, could rebuild broken bridges.
We need to empower scientists as informal ambassadors: Researchers collaborating across borders form networks of trust that can withstand political tensions.
These people-to-people connections are the bedrock of a more resilient international community. We must align economic might with sustainable goals: The green transition presents the greatest economic opportunity of the 21st century.
Instead of engaging in subsidised trade wars over electric vehicles or solar panels, nations should compete on innovation while cooperating on the shared standards and infrastructure needed for a sustainable global economy.
The lecture at UCSI serves as a crucial wake-up call. The path of distrust and disintegration leads to a poorer, more dangerous, and more volatile world.
The alternative is to consciously choose collaboration over confrontation, evidence over ideology, and bridges over walls. The choice is ours.
We can either allow the forces of disruption and distrust to pull us apart, or we can harness the power of science and diplomacy to build a future that is not only sustainable but also secure and prosperous for all.
The data is clear. The evidence is in. Now, we must find the will to act upon it. As Professor Marwala reflected, we must continue to fill the air with optimism despite the setbacks.
* Professor Datuk Dr Ahmad Ibrahim is affiliated with the Tan Sri Omar Centre for STI Policy Studies at UCSI University and is an Adjunct Professor at the Ungku Aziz Centre for Development Studies, Universiti Malaya. He can be reached at [email protected].
** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
