Interview with Ona Ambrozaite
Ona Ambrozaite is the inaugural Co-Director of the Johns Hopkins Science Diplomacy Hub and a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Chemistry at the Krieger School of Arts & Sciences at Johns Hopkins University. As a National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellow, her work focuses on developing novel semiconducting materials with unique optoelectronic properties for applications in quantum information science and technology. Ambrozaite is also a speaker at the upcoming DWIH NY conference, FUTURE FORUM 2024, in Washington, D.C., where she will share her expertise on Science Diplomacy Hubs.
Read the interview to learn how Ona Ambrozaite became interested in Science Diplomacy, why the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in Germany serves as an example of successful Science Diplomacy, and her advice for young researchers interested in the field.
What got you interested in Science Diplomacy?
I found my “calling” for science diplomacy and policy very early on during my Ph.D. at Johns Hopkins University. The Johns Hopkins Science Policy Group had existed for a few years beforehand, and I took the lead in developing the science diplomacy work at the university shortly after learning what the group’s mission was (which also led to renaming of the group to Johns Hopkins Science Policy and Diplomacy Group). I think it was a natural fusion of my interest in the sciences and passion for traveling, both of which had led me to spend time at Kyoto University in Japan and the Supramolecular Science and Engineering Institute in Strasbourg, France.
As a result of all the great long-term transnational partnerships developed over the years, in Fall 2023 Prof. Peter Agre, 2003 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, and I launched the inaugural Johns Hopkins Science Diplomacy Hub at the new JHU Bloomberg Center in the heart of Washington, D.C.
I find a lot of value in promoting the role of science diplomacy and policy as tools for cooperation between communities that previously would not cross paths as much as we would like to. Bridging the knowledge-action gap and strengthening the science-policy-society interface is crucial for policies to reflect the most current scientific evidence and include the needed actors in the policy formation process.
Do you have a favorite example of successful Science Diplomacy? If so, what is it?
This summer, I attended the 73rd Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in Physics in Germany. The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings provide a globally recognized forum for exchange between Nobel Laureates and young scientists. They inspire scientific generations and build sustainable networks of young scientists around the world.
Attending the Nobel Laureate Meeting in Physics made me realize that such a global convening of more than 30 Nobel Laureates and 600+ early career scholars from countries ranging from Pakistan to Czech Republic is a very unique example of successful Science Diplomacy. Such a convening, similar to our inaugural Johns Hopkins Science Diplomacy Summit 2024, allows scientists, whether early career scholars or established Nobel Laureates, to form international relationships that often are exactly the types of bonds we need to keep countries together even in times of highest tension and distress. They all have or will go on their paths to promote ways that science can build bridges and mutual understanding between the farthest corners of the world.
The Johns Hopkins Science Diplomacy Hub and the DWIH New York have collaborated in the past. What impact has that had on Science Diplomacy?
We have indeed collaborated together on science diplomacy convenings such as the “How Sustainable is Artificial Intelligence?” event earlier this year at our beautiful new home, the JHU Bloomberg Center in Washington, D.C.
Together with DWIH New York, Campus OWL New York Office & the SAIL Project, the German Embassy Washington DC, the American Friends of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, and the German Research Foundation (DFG) North America, we gathered exactly the stakeholders who need many more opportunities to connect- scientists, academics, policymakers, diplomats, students, and the private sector.
If we focus on the topic of “AI Diplomacy” that was the theme of this event, our collaboration is a prime example of how multinational organizations such as ours can collaborate on advancing sustainable AI practices and responsible usage of AI that considers the long-term well-being of both society and the environment, and much more. By doing this, we can have real-life impacts of initiating long-term international exchanges between research and industry to foster sustainable AI practices. Take any other topic, and we can do the same.
We are also working together on the exciting FUTURE FORUM on Science Diplomacy that we will host this month at the JHU Bloomberg Center in D.C. We very much look forward to having all of the distinguished authors gather together for such a unique convening where ideas will collide in the most creative way possible.
Do you have any advice for young researchers interested in Science Diplomacy?
The field of Science Diplomacy is new, which is quite exciting as there are so many opportunities for young researchers to create new initiatives or otherwise get involved in this field. A couple of examples are our very own JHU Science Diplomacy Hub and the Johns Hopkins Science Policy and Diplomacy Group that offer hands-on training and other engagement opportunities in science policy and science diplomacy. We collaborate with young researchers from around the world, so please do get in touch with us if there’s an interest.
Another piece of advice: to get started, be on the lookout for opportunities to engage with policymakers in your local community. It’s a great way to become more familiar with how scientific advice can be integrated into the lifecycle of the policymaking process.
Ona Ambrozaite will speak at the FUTURE FORUM 2024 conference in Washington, D.C.—register here for free to attend.