This book offers the first comprehensive analysis of how the European Union defines, practises, operationalises, and is perceived through science diplomacy in the Middle East. It examines the intersection of science, innovation, and diplomacy across three key countriesJordan, Israel, and Saudi Arabiarevealing how cooperation in research and innovation shapes the EUs foreign policy and global influence. Moving beyond the conceptual debates that dominate current literature, the book investigates how EU science diplomacy operates in practice. It explores the frameworks, mechanisms, and instruments that underpin EU engagement in the region, and shows how national capacities, innovation ecosystems, and geopolitical contexts determine different patterns of collaboration. A distinctive contribution of this work is the introduction of perception as a new variable in the study of science diplomacy. By analysing how EU actions are understood and received locally, the study exposes the symmetries and asymmetries that influence trust, visibility, and cooperation outcomes. Drawing on extensive research and comparative case studies, the book highlights both the achievements and limitations of EU science diplomacy, identifying opportunities for more coherent and proactive external action. It concludes with concrete policy recommendations for strengthening the EUs role as a credible global science and innovation actor.
This is important and essential reading for academics, researchers and policy-makers interested in the changing dynamics of diplomatic relations between the two regions.
Reframing Regional Dynamics: The Strategic Imperative of EU Science
Diplomacy in the Middle East.- Science Diplomacy: A Pathfinder for
Cooperation Between Science and Foreign Affairs.- The Case of Jordan.- The
Case of Israel.- The Case of Saudi Arabia.- Comparative Analysis Across the
Case Studies.- Comparative Analysis Across the Case Studies.- References.
Luca Polizzi is a Associated Research Fellow at UNU-CRIS, focusing on EU science diplomacy. He holds a PhD in international studies and science diplomacy from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), where his research analysed how EU science diplomacy is defined, operationalised, and assessed in the Middle East. Active in science, energy, and climate diplomacy practices, he was Manager for Strategic Planning and Academic Review at KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology) in Saudi Arabia for over 3 years. From 2019 to 2021, he served as EU Diplomat and Science Attaché at the EU Delegation in Tel Aviv, leading research and innovation diplomacy with Israel and organising regional dialogues on energy and climate cooperation. At the European Commissions DG Research and Innovation, he was Policy Officer for the MENA region, managing the R&I portfolio for Africa, the Gulf, and the EU Neighbourhood. He later contributed to hydrogen and innovation policy, supporting EU and international energy diplomacy, and earlier held roles on industrial technologies, nanotechnologies, and advanced materials. His career also includes senior posts at the EU Office of Scottish Enterprise and academic roles in EU law and policy. Luca lectures on EU policies and science diplomacy at institutions including the College of Europe, University of Canterbury, Ben-Gurion University, Università Cattolica of Milan, the University of Glasgow, and the University of St Andrews. His science diplomacy work spans EU framework programmes, PRIMA, SESAME, NDICI, with a focus on MENA and GCC research cooperation instruments, co-funding mechanisms, blended finance, and cross-regional dialogues on energy, climate, and innovation.
