Seminar to Reflect the Scientific Data Held at Peking University

Academic seminar "Science and Diplomacy: A History of Scientific Data Flows" was held at the Peking University Overseas Exchange Center, on March 25-26, 2024, bringing together scholars in the history of science diplomacy from various research institutions in China and the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom, and it aimed at to offer a fresh perspective on the essence of science diplomacy through discussions on the historical international circulation of scientific data. The seminar was organized by the Department of History of Science, Technology, and Medicine (DHSTM) of Peking University, with funding support from the European Research Council project Neworld@a.

 

Consisted of a total of 13 academic presentations, 2 main themes, this academic gathering brought together a plethora of insightful theoretical observations and empirical studies. Seminar comprised presentations from six Neworld@a project members from the University of Manchester and Peking University, focusing on data diplomacy, and the other seven Chinese scholars, offering a broader perspective on science diplomacy.

Conference Site

Theme One: Historical Intersection of Scientific Data and Diplomacy

This theme showcased the interim achievements of the Neworld@a project, and presentations on data diplomacy primarily. Professor Simone Turchetti delivered the keynote address titled "Rethinking Science Diplomacy through the Lens of Scientific Data Diplomacy," He provided a comprehensive overview of the academic history and current research status of science diplomacy.Professor Turchetti also discussed the establishment history of the Science, Technology, and Diplomacy Committee (STAND) under the International Committee for the History of Science and Technology (ICHST), as well as the origins and implementation of the Neworld@a project. He argued that previous studies on science diplomacy often centered on specific diplomatic policy frameworks, thereby limiting our understanding of the essence of science diplomacy, and advocated for examining international affairs related to the infrastructure of scientific endeavors, including scientific data, to provide historical insights for contemporary science diplomacy.

Professor Simone Turchetti Delivering Keynotes

Dr. Gordon Barrett, a research associate at the Center for the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine at the University of Manchester, presented his research proposal focusing on the geopolitical dynamics and data sharing of the International Geophysical Year (IGY) program in the Asia-Pacific region during the Cold War era. Professor Aya Homei from the School of Arts, Languages, and Cultures at the University of Manchester introduced her research project on the history of seismic exchanges between China and Japan in the 1970s, with potential areas of interest including the role of seismic data in Sino-Japanese seismic exchanges.

Presenters of Theme One

Additionally, postdoctoral researcher Zhang Jingfei, doctoral student Hu Xiaoyue, and researcher Bo Erchen from Peking University presented their research progress and plans concentrating on the historical flow of seismic data and climate data.

 

Theme Two: The Historical Evolution of Science Diplomacy

The remaining seven speakers presented their respective research progress or findings on science diplomacy from different perspectives on this theme. Professor Fan Chunliang, a researcher at the Institute of Strategic Studies at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, examined the characteristics of China's science and technology diplomacy during different periods since the reform and opening-up from the perspective of the history of science and technology policy. Professor Chen Bo from the Department of History at East China Normal University introduced his research project on the role of the University of Michigan in the export of atomic energy technology in the United States. Assistant Professor Wu Bohao from the Department of History at Peking University discussed his research on technology transfer in the 1970s, focusing on both the transmission and communication of technology across Cold War blocs and intra-bloc technological exchanges, emphasizing a global perspective.

 

Wang Yuqi, a doctoral student at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, examined global observations and records of auroras in different regions over millennia under various social and cultural backgrounds and the utilization of this historical data for modern scientific research. Associate Professor Su Jingjing from the School of Medical Humanities at Peking University used the example of the World Health Organization's certification of China's eradication of smallpox to explore the mutual influence between political relations and scientific standards. Postdoctoral fellow Tong Yichen from the School of Humanities at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences and Associate Researcher Liu Jinyan from the Institute for the History of Natural Sciences at the Chinese Academy of Sciences focused on Sino-Soviet science and technology diplomacy in the 1950s. Tong Yichen discussed Chinese scientists' reactions to the changing political relations regarding the Lysenkoism theory during the Beijing Agricultural University's crop selection and breeding program. Liu Jinyan presented the achievements of Chinese scientists using advanced equipment at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna, Soviet Union, and the impact of strained Sino-Soviet relations on their work and the institute's international reputation, as well as its influence on China's subsequent nuclear weapons development efforts.

Presenters of Theme Two

Throughout the discussions, we witnessed how data diplomacy serves as a crucial entry point for understanding science diplomacy. The production, circulation, storage, and utilization of scientific data are intertwined with scientific infrastructure, knowledge production, technology transfer, and foreign policy, reflecting the multifaceted nature of science diplomacy. We hope that our research can provide practical insights and address real-world challenges.

 

Attachment: Program

 

Science and Diplomacy: A History of Scientific Data Flows

Program

 

Date：March 25-26，2024

Venue: Peking University

Host：Department of History of Science, Technology and Medicine, Peking University

 

March 25, Monday 9:00-17:50

Venue: Meeting room 1, Yingjie Overseas Exchange Center, Peking University

Moderator: Li ZHANG, Professor, Department of History of Science, Technology and Medicine, PKU

9:00-10:00     Keynote speech

- Simone Turchetti

Professor, Centre for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of Manchester

                Re-thinking the diplomacy of science and technology starting with that on research data

10:00-10:20   Discussion

10:20-10:30  Break

Moderator: Hao CHEN, Associate professor, Department of History of Science, Technology and Medicine, PKU

10:30-11:00    - Chunliang FAN

Research professor, Institutes of Science and Development, Chinese Academy of Sciences

China's Science and Technology Diplomacy since Reform and Opening Up

11:00-11:30    - Bo CHEN

Professor, East China Normal University

University of Michigan and the Export of U.S. Atomic Energy Technology

11:30-11:50   Discussion

Moderator: John Alekna, Assistant professor, Department of History of Science, Technology and Medicine, PKU

14:00-14:30    - Gordon Barrett

Research Associate, Centre for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of Manchester

Geopolitics of the IGY in the Asia-Pacific and Development of Data-sharing in the Cold War

14:30-15:00     - Bohao WU

Assistant Professor, Department of History, Peking University

Technology Transfer in the 1970s: A Global Cold War Perspective

15:00 -15:30    -Yong WEI, Yuqi WANG

Research professor, Ph.D candidate, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

The Millennium Aurora Road—— from China to Korean Peninsula, from East Asia to Europe

15:30-15:50   Discussion

15:50-16:00   Break

Moderator: Qi CAO, Lecturer, Department of History of Science, Technology and Medicine, PKU

16:00-16:30    - Xingbo LUO, Yichen TONG

Professor, post-doctor, School of Humanities, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences

Learn from the Soviet Union, or Not? A Study of the Advanced Class of Breeding and Seed Production of Field Crops by Beijing Agricultural University, 1955-1957

16:30-17:00     - Jingjing SU

Associate Professor, School of Health Humanities, Peking University

Belated Certification of Smallpox Eradication in China: hesitation and distrust

17:00-17:30    - Jinyan LIU

Associate Professor, Institute for the History of Natural Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Early formation process of multilateral cooperation and resource sharing patterns in high energy physics - A case study of Chinese scientists in Dubna

17:30 -17:50    Discussion

March 26, Tuesday 9:00-11:20

Venue: Meeting room 1, Yingjie Overseas Exchange Center, Peking University

Moderator: Daniele Macuglia, Assistant professor, Department of History of Science, Technology and Medicine, PKU

9:00-9:30     - Xiaoyue HU

Ph.D candidate, Department of History of Science, Technology and Medicine, Peking University

Isolated but Not Disconnected: Exchange and Circulation of Information on seismology in China (1960s-1970s)

09:30-10:00   - Jingfei ZHANG

Post-doctor, Department of History of Science, Technology and Medicine, Peking University

Chinese American Scientists, Gravimeters, and Earthquake Prediction in the Evolving China–U.S. relations, 1970s–1980s

10:00-10:30   - Aya Homei

Reader, School of Arts, Languages and Cultures, University of Manchester

China-Japan Seismological Exchange in the 1970s: An Initial Observation

10:30-11:00    - Erchen BO

Ph.D candidate, Department of History of Science, Technology and Medicine, Peking University

Data Sovereignty and Scientific “Utopia”: China's Meteorological Satellite Data and “FY Series” Satellites

11:00 -11:20   Discussion