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The creation of the International Astronomical Union as a result of scientific diplomacy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2011

Arnaud Saint-Martin
Arnaud Saint-Martin*
Affiliation:
Centre Alexandre Koyré, École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, 57, rue Cuvier, 75231 Paris cedex 05, France email: arsaint-martin@orange.fr
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Abstract

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After World War I, the foundation of the International Astronomical Union delimited a space for a new form of internationality, which led to a rapid change in the way astronomical research had previously been pursued. This structure was to be a sort of parliament of astronomical nations which planned to supervise scientific programs and to rationalise inter-observatory cooperation. In this article, I will discuss the sociological aspects of this institutional process and introduce the idea of ‘scientific diplomacy’.

Keywords

astronomydiplomacyinternational relations
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 5 , Symposium S260: The Role of Astronomy in Society and Culture , January 2009 , pp. 202 - 206
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2011

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