Budrys: 'Science diplomacy as a tool to address national and global challenges'

On 15-17 October, Lithuania will host the first International Science Week "(re) SEARCH 2025", which aims to foster dialogue between Lithuania and the international academic community, politicians, business, the public sector, and society, and to discuss ways and opportunities to strengthen research and innovation potential in addressing the challenges of a changing world.

Science diplomacy is one of the topics of the Science Week. According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, Kęstutis Budrys, science is a crucial pillar of Lithuania's future - it is a means to strengthen the country's competitiveness, drive progress, and provide opportunities to be heard and seen in the world.

"Through science diplomacy, we can not only share our achievements, but also build strategic partnerships that will help Lithuania address both national and global challenges," says Budrys.

On 16 October, Minister Budrys will open the Science Diplomacy Forum at the Research Council of Lithuania. During the event, policymakers, scientists, diplomats, and international partners will discuss how science diplomacy works in different countries and could help address global challenges, from crisis management to state resilience and security of scientific research. Participants of the forum will also be informed about the initial steps for preparing guidelines for Lithuania's science diplomacy.

Programme of the event.

Registration for the Science Diplomacy Forum is open until 13 October.

The (re) SEARCH 2025 International Science Week in Lithuania will feature four main events: "Lithuanian Science Forum. Competitive and Creative Lithuania", "Vilnius Science Diplomacy Forum 2025", "Baltic TTO Network Conference 2025", and the conference "Tech Transfer Unlocked: Bridging Ideas across the region and UK".

The (re) SEARCH 2025 International Science Week in Lithuania is organised by the Research Council of Lithuania. The organizational partners are the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Lithuanian Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, the Center for Physical Sciences and Technology (FTMC), the Baltic States TTO Network, and the British Embassy in Vilnius. The media partner of the event is LRT.