Foreign Policy and Science and Technology Policy in Colombia: Scientific Diplomacy as Frontier

Science diplomacy (SD) is consolidated as an eclectic and frontier proposal between science, technology, and innovation (STI), on the one hand, and International Relations and foreign policy, on the other. How is public policy on science and technology in Colombia articulated with public policy on technology and International Relations through scientific diplomacy? This article identifies the SD actions that Colombia implemented between 2018-2022, based on an exploratory and qualitative-descriptive analysis of public policy documents from that period. We conclude that important and accelerated steps have been taken, but challenges persist in terms of the articulation and consolidation of sd as an effective strategy that facilitates the achievement of objectives for both the sti sector and International Relations. We sketch the conceptual foundations that can aid in understanding sd in a situated manner, introduce some of its criticisms, and place the Colombian experience in comparative perspective with relation to those of Brazil, Mexico, and Chile.