Eric Piaget, EUTOPIA’s coordinator of scientific diplomacy, has outlined the alliance’s strategic vision in a new interview published by Diplomacy News, highlighting how European university alliances are reshaping international cooperation amid geopolitical tensions.
Universities as Diplomatic Infrastructure
The interview arrives at a pivotal moment. The EU’s May 2026 framework on scientific diplomacy has formally recognised universities as essential actors in international cooperation—a shift that directly validates EUTOPIA’s strategic positioning.
Piaget articulates a compelling thesis: university alliances possess “significant diplomatic potential” precisely because they generate knowledge, train future leaders, attract international talent, and maintain collaborative relationships even across fractured political landscapes.
The Fourth Dimension
Central to EUTOPIA’s approach is the concept of “diplomacy in science”—a fourth dimension beyond classical scientific diplomacy frameworks. This reframes researchers and universities as independent diplomatic actors capable of preserving open science when geopolitical pressures threaten it.
“Science can no longer assume that openness will defend itself,” Piaget explains. As misinformation spreads and strategic competition sharpens, universities must become active custodians of knowledge as a global public good.
Three Strategic Capabilities
The interview identifies three capabilities universities must now build:
- Contextual intelligence: Understanding the diplomatic and geopolitical environment shaping international research
- Translation capacity: Converting scientific evidence into policy-relevant information
- Institutional coordination: Connecting research, ethics, security, and leadership across alliance partners operating under different regulatory frameworks
Informal Diplomacy: Mobility as Strategy
Piaget highlights an often-overlooked diplomatic dimension: student mobility and alumni networks. These create lasting bonds between institutions and countries—relationships that frequently outlast formal diplomatic channels. For EUTOPIA, this reframes mobility strategy as essential infrastructure for international resilience.
Navigating the Openness-Security Tension
The interview doesn’t shy from complexity. Universities must exercise “responsible judgment” in collaborations involving sensitive technologies—artificial intelligence, quantum computing, cybersecurity, biotechnology—weighing academic freedom against legitimate security concerns. Within a university alliance, this tension intensifies as partners operate under different regulatory regimes.
What’s Next for EUTOPIA
The EU framework provides strategic coherence for EUTOPIA’s existing work. The alliance now translates the framework’s objectives into concrete initiatives: training programmes, dialogue spaces, and structured international exchange that embed scientific diplomacy into European higher education strategy.
As Piaget concludes, universities remind us that knowledge is intrinsically international. In an era of fragmentation and distrust, this isn’t idealism—it’s strategy.
Read the full interview: Diplomacy News – “University alliances like EUTOPIA have significant diplomatic potential”
