ISC Statement on International Scientific Collaboration
International Scientific Collaboration: Vital Yet Vulnerable
The Governing Board of the International Science Council (ISC) has released a powerful statement highlighting the urgent need to protect and strengthen global cooperation in science. At a time when global challenges are becoming more complex and interconnected, international scientific collaboration is not a luxury, it is a necessity. Yet, the foundations of this collaboration, built painstakingly over decades, are increasingly fragile.
Science as Globally Shared Knowledge
Science represents a unique form of knowledge: one that is shared across borders and cultures, and one that the world needs more than ever. From climate change and biodiversity loss to public health crises and social inequality, the challenges humanity faces today cannot be addressed by any single nation alone. International collaboration lies at the very heart of science, enabling collective understanding and joint solutions. However, despite its immense value, this collaborative system is now under growing strain.
Recognizing the critical importance of science for both national and global wellbeing, the ISC calls on decision makers worldwide to safeguard the principles of science and protect its institutions. Maintaining—and ideally strengthening—international scientific cooperation is essential for the future.
Two Centuries of Progress Through Science
Over the past 200 years, science has been instrumental in improving quality of life, driving economic growth, and deepening humanity’s understanding of nature and society. All nations rely on science to advance health, social progress, and economic development. These benefits are made possible through sustained investments in research, including support from governments, the private sector, and philanthropic organizations, as well as through extensive collaboration within the global scientific community.
Because knowledge transcends national boundaries, this collective approach has become even more critical in the face of existential threats to planetary and societal health. Shared scientific efforts allow nations to pool expertise, data, and resources to confront risks that affect us all.
Openness, Responsibility, and Global Trust
Science also plays a role in advancing economic, security, and geostrategic objectives. In this context, the frequently cited policy principle of science being “as open as possible and as closed as necessary” must be applied with caution. The ISC warns that this mantra should not be extended beyond legitimate needs, as excessive restrictions risk undermining the openness that makes science effective and trustworthy.
Through science, humanity has both contributed to and uncovered the profound impacts of human activity and technology on the planet. In recent decades, international collaboration among scientists has helped identify these risks and develop strategies to mitigate and adapt to them. Importantly, such cooperation has often transcended geostrategic tensions, driven by a shared interest in protecting the global commons.
Core Principles and Shared Responsibility
At the foundation of all scientific disciplines lies a common set of principles: empiricism, transparency, quality assurance, and openness. These principles enable science to function as a universal system of knowledge. While the application of scientific knowledge is rightly shaped by the societies in which it is embedded, the integrity of the scientific process itself must be preserved.
The ISC emphasizes that international scientific collaboration must continue and that responsibility for sustaining research should be more equitably shared. Nations that invest in and support science not only protect scientific outcomes but also benefit socially, economically, and politically. Ignoring science, by contrast, increases risks to the global commons and undermines collective resilience. Scientific cooperation also plays a vital role in fostering peaceful dialogue among countries.
Renewing the Contract Between Science and Society
The scientific community, for its part, must remain faithful to its core principles while engaging more closely and meaningfully with society. The relationship—the “contract”—between science and society must be continually renewed, ensuring that science can make its essential contributions to peace, security, and wellbeing.
As a global NGO bringing together scientific unions, associations, and academies, the ISC reaffirms its commitment to the vision of science as a global public good. It calls on all sectors of society to recognize that the free and responsible practice of science is a collective endeavor—one that is crucial to the advancement of all humanity.
The full ISC statement on International Scientific Collaboration is available for download.
