[18/08/2026]
CLAF Director Dr. Ulisses Barres participated as an invited speaker at an event held from 10 to 14 August at the Institute of Advanced Studies of the University of São Paulo (IEA/USP), which brought together diplomats, researchers, students, public officials, and professionals to discuss ways of strengthening scientific cooperation.
The São Paulo Innovation and Science Diplomacy School (InnSciD SP), held under the theme "Metascience and Global Scientific Cooperation," explored the challenges and opportunities for strengthening international collaboration in science and innovation. Organized by the Center for the Study of International Negotiations at IEA in partnership with the Department of Political Science of the School of Philosophy, Languages and Human Sciences (FFLCH), the School seeks to foster dialogue among universities, governments, and research institutions on Science Diplomacy and Innovation Diplomacy from a Global South perspective.
Dr. Barres was invited to join the event's second panel discussion, held on 11 August, which focused on the contribution of research and technological development institutions to strengthening regional innovation ecosystems. The panel also featured Dr. Anderson Ribeiro Correia, President of the Institute for Technological Research (IPT), and was moderated by Professor Amâncio Jorge Silva Nunes de Oliveira, one of InnSciD SP's Executive Coordinators.
During his presentation, Dr. Barres highlighted that particle astrophysics in Latin America is undergoing a historic transition, driven by the region's mountainous geography, which hosts approximately one-third of the world's leading experiments in the field. Historically, these major scientific facilities were established in Latin America under the leadership of European and North American institutions. Over time, this model, combined with the scientific development of individual countries, contributed to the fragmentation of regional scientific cooperation, as Latin American nations increasingly prioritized bilateral partnerships with the Global North rather than strengthening collaboration among themselves.
However, in the specific field of particle astrophysics, this trend is beginning to change with the announcement that Brazil will lead the construction of the Southern Wide-Field Gamma-ray Observatory (SWGO), the largest gamma-ray astronomy observatory in South America, located in Chile. The project will be launched with an initial US$10 million investment from Brazil's National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development (FNDCT) through FINEP.
To help reverse this fragmentation, Ulisses Barres explained how the Latin American Center for Physics (CLAF) seeks to reposition itself not only as a facilitator of scientific exchanges but also as a strategic coordinator of regional cooperation. He stressed the urgent need to integrate the continent's existing "islands of scientific excellence," which currently operate largely in isolation, and reflected on the future role of the institution.
"Today, CLAF must embrace the role of a regional actor in science diplomacy; otherwise, it will completely lose its meaning and purpose."
As a practical proposal, he advocated the creation of a permanent coordination group bringing together academia, governments, and ministries of foreign affairs. According to Dr. Barres, the objective is to establish long-term policies and channels for dialogue that will enable Latin America to mobilize resources and implement major multilateral scientific projects whenever opportunities arise, thereby overcoming the region's long-standing political instability.
Established in 2019, the São Paulo Innovation and Science Diplomacy School (InnSciD SP) has become an international forum for education, dialogue, and networking in science and innovation diplomacy. Throughout its successive editions, the School has promoted the development of collaborative networks aimed at advancing an integrated vision of science diplomacy that connects knowledge production with public policy, international relations, and innovation ecosystems. The School's Executive Coordinators are Amâncio Jorge Silva Nunes de Oliveira and Pedro Ivo Ferraz da Silva.
Read the article published by the USP Journal: https://jornal.usp.br/universidade/debate-na-usp-destaca-integracao-entre-ciencia-governo-e-inovacao-em-sao-paulo/