Science and Diplomacy

The Max Planck Society positioned itself in the field of international politics during the Cold War.

Science diplomacy has recently been seen as a beacon of hope in tackling the global challenges of international politics. And the Max Planck Society sees itself today as an actor in German science diplomacy. This was not always the case. During the Cold War, despite all efforts to keep its extensive scientific relations separate from the political sphere, the MPG was unable to escape realpolitik. This study explores how the MPG positioned itself in this field, both when it cooperated with the foreign policy of the Federal Republic as well as when it distanced itself from it, and how it combined its roles as a national, European and global science policy actor.

Vorwort
Today, the Max Planck Society sees itself as an actor in German science diplomacy. This was not always the case. During the Cold War, the MPG was unable to escape realpolitik, despite attempts to keep its extensive international scientific relations separate from the political sphere. This book explores how the MPG positioned itself in this field, both when it cooperated with the foreign policy of the Federal Republic, when it distanced itself from these policies, and how the MPG combined its roles as a national, European and global science policy actor.

Autorentext
Carola Sachse ist Universitätsprofessorin (i.R.) am Institut für Zeitgeschichte der Universität Wien und hat dort von 2004 bis 2016 unterrichtet. Seit 2017 ist sie Gastwissenschaftlerin am Max-Planck-Institut für Wissenschaftsgeschichte in Berlin.