It is said that without using recommendations of scholars in the field of International Relations, nation states will never be able to implement policies in a balanced and correct way.
For this reason, well developed nation states increase the involvement of research institutions and think tanks into their official policies or provide them an opportunity to actively implement Academic Diplomacy. Innovations in the field of foreign policy are as important as in science. Only accurate research regarding specific countries, regions and organizations can improve the relations on bilateral and multilateral levels. Without understanding the main internal and external problems of country X, country’s Y decision makers cannot come to right decisions. This puts great responsibility on scholars, who conduct research in the field of International Relations.
If a surgeon or his/her advisers take the wrong path, the life of a person can be lost. Likewise, if specialists and decision makers in the field of foreign policy make a wrong decision, lives of ten thousand will be under threat as well as a given nation state itself. For this reason, it is of greatest importance that nation states provide funds and finances to governmental and non-governmental research institutions. These well-financed institutions, in turn, accelerate independent research and recommend findings of their works without any influence from other states and financial sources. If country X does not provide enough funding to its research centers, there is a threat that these organizations will start to serve the interests of others and even accept offers of foreign agents. The question arises, what will the nation state lose from this kind of development?
Decision makers must recognize that in the 21-st century, when virtual life is already prevailing, professionally written articles and opinions of authoritative political scientists and think tanks play a crucial role in forming public opinion in the sphere of international relations. Thus, it is especially important, that scholars and think tanks act independently of foreign finances. Financing of think tanks can be provided not only by global academic sources to develop analytical potential, but also by organizations that can be financed by adversaries or from the nation states, which have intentions to create lobbying groups for implementing their policies in specific states.
Actually, academic diplomacy can find ways in different situations in which official diplomacy has less place for maneuvering. For instance, in different uneasy situations between two nation states, when relations are not very good and politicians are under the pressure of their citizens or the military because of historical or political problems, scholars can play a crucial role. Scholars can organize joint conferences to find ways to improve relations and to change the attitude of their compatriots towards other nation states. Scholars can initiate and commence dialogue in a supportive and neutral environment. In turn, scholars in the field of international relations must also acknowledge, that their main task is to find ways for peaceful resolutions of problems, but not isolationism and contribution to further escalations of problems. A scholar is not a soldier, he/she is not a hawk as well. A scholar must stand and provide a bridge to bring solutions and peace, and not war or further escalation of tensions.
It is true, that nowadays, the work of professionals in the field of international relations are exceedingly difficult. The unlimited inflow of information through the internet and social networks - starting from taxi drivers to hairdressers and opera singers (name any other profession) create a feigned and frequently mistaken sense of competence. Non-professionals are well-intentioned and frequently believe that, with a sentence or two from Facebook, Twitter, or Telegram, they understand political issues not worse than professionals, who have doctoral degrees and decades of experience and intense research. Of course, unprofessional opinions on international relations can be dangerous since from time-to-time uneducated individuals emerge as “stars” on Facebook or Twitter. The ill-trained get an opportunity to mislead thousands.
The aforementioned situation also means, that think tanks and political scientists must also adjust their activities, taking into consideration the new realities of the 21st century. They have not only to provide academic papers, books with limited access because they are expensive publications, but they need also actively work in social media. Academics must try to introduce their ideas in a simple way, so that they are understandable for everyone. The reader must also remember that, when we have a symptom of Coronavirus, the ask a doctor, nurse, or another health professional what to do. When we need to go somewhere, we call a taxi driver. When we need a good haircut, we go to a barber or professional hairdresser. The same is true in the case of international relations.
Of course, a taxi driver, a businessperson or even a Doctor of Philological Sciences can explain the Iranian nuclear issue to us. Their explanation may even be better if he/she knows Persian and reads daily newspapers of that country. The explanation, however, can only be done correctly only by a Doctor of Political Sciences who professionally researches nuclear proliferation issues.
In sum, nation states and must pay more attention to developing a professional network of political scientists and independent think tanks in their countries. This network can offer research on various aspects of their foreign policies and develop and implement scenario planning. This network can develop recommendations and use their capabilities in public and academic diplomacy to send their messages to citizens and politicians of other nation states.
Having independent scholars and institutions provide an opportunity to create constructive competition and organize sharp debates between think tanks and governmental institutions. This competition and debate frequently promote and develops official foreign policies. Independent scholars can also offer opposing views to officials or ambassadors, and their constructive criticism can reshape and change policies and make them more dynamic and effective and prevent stagnation. In some developing nation states where governments and officials do not prioritize the importance of academic diplomacy and research, scholars and think tanks must take the lead and act independently. Scholars must educate a new generation of leaders and use independent media and social networks to press governments to take into consideration their opinions. When done correctly a more balanced foreign policy develops.
For implementing effective Academic Diplomacy, scholars must also actively create ties with their colleagues in different nation states, together implement research, offer recommendations putting aside historical, political disagreements between their nations. In this regard, China and Eurasia: Rethinking Cooperation and Contradictions in the Era of Changing World Order book, published by the Routledge can serve as a good example, where researchers from China, India, Russia, Austria, Armenia, United Arab Emirates, Georgia, and Montenegro present their findings, provide recommendations on how to solve disagreements between different Eurasian nations The authors show that through joint deliberations it is thinkable to find ways for ensuring a modus vivendi.
Mher Sahakyan is the founder and director of the China-Eurasia Council for Political and Strategic Research, in Yerevan, Armenia. He is a 2020/21 AsiaGlobal Fellow of the Asia Global Institute and an elected advisory board member of the International Institute for Peace in Vienna, Austria. He is the founder of the annual international conference Eurasian Research on Modern China and Eurasia. He is a lecturer at the Russian-Armenian University, Yerevan State University and the ISEC of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia. He holds a doctorate in international relations from Nanjing University, China. Mher is the author of the book China’s Belt and Road Initiative and Armenia, which was published in Armenian and in Russian (shortlisted by the International Convention of Asia Scholars, Leiden, Netherlands).
He is co-editor (with Heinz Gärtner) of China and Eurasia: Rethinking Cooperation and Contradictions in the Era of Changing World Order, which was published by Routledge in September 2021.