Thank you for your response to my concerns re gender balance and it’s great to see more balance emerging as the commentaries are added. Thank you also for welcoming an article contribution on the issue of women’s representation in academia, policymaking and the media. This, although an issue for me and all women academics, is not my specific area of expertise.

However, I’m working with European science diplomacy expert Professor Luk van Langenhove (http://cris.unu.edu/tools-eu-science-diplomacy) on some research examining how science diplomacy is being positioned, especially from a strategic communication perspective, in both the consultation submissions to the white paper process and now the White Paper itself.

It is notable that although identified as an area of strategic priority for DFAT http://dfat.gov.au/people-to-people/public-diplomacy/Pages/science-diplomacy.aspx there was only one mention of the term itself in the White Paper, and just three paragraphs (pp. 123-4) specifically on Science and Research. It is clear that references to actions (and rhetoric) related to scientific collaboration and implementation are scattered throughout other sections of the White Paper; such activities increasingly being identified as related to or comprising ‘science diplomacy’. What is unclear at present from the White Paper is whether development of a science diplomacy strategy will remain an identified priority for DFAT.

I note in Dr Olga Krasnyak’s contribution above the concerns about Russia not being officially considered as a partner in scientific collaboration with Australia and the potential for science diplomacy, along with cultural and sports diplomacy “for strengthening bilateral ties in the times of the multi-polar world.”

I would be most interested to see your rolling coverage include insights from Australia’s leading institutions in the science arena, especially the Australia Academy of Science. Its submission to the public consultation process had as the first of the seven recommendations made:

“The Academy recommends that the Foreign Policy White Paper recognise the importance of the use of science as part of Australia’s diplomacy, through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).”

I feel quite confident that you no doubt have such contributions in the pipeline. Thanks.
Melanie James

The gender imbalance in your comment no longer reflects the ratio of male and female contributors to our rolling coverage of the White Paper.
 
If the issue of women’s representation in academia, policymaking and the media is something you wish to explore further, Policy Forum would always welcome an article contribution from you (or others) on this topic.

Policy Forum team

This blog post, for example, positions the authors in reader’s and other decision-makers’ minds as those worthy of having their insights sought and published in a reputable forum. This inclusion is another ‘tick’ on the authors’ cvs and helps grow their reputations, thus increasing the chance they will be asked again for insights in the future. This process brings prestige to both them and their institutions. This further positions them positively for future career progression and profile building.

So what may seem like a benign process of having 80 percent of the insights provided by male authors, it is in fact quite malignant for women, who as we know, are underrepresented in senior academic, political and business leadership roles.