What China-US tensions and Russia’s isolation had to do with the COVID-19 pandemic crisis haven’t changed: how low- and middle-income countries acted constructively

So far, China–US tensions and Russia’s isolation have not had a discernible effect on major networks of researchers such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and its biodiversity counterpart, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. Countries are working to stop these tensions interfering with ongoing talks to agree new treaties on preventing pandemics and ending plastics pollution.

Although in the summer China temporarily broke off bilateral climate talks with the United States that had been announced at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, UK, at the end of 2021, these talks are now back on, mainly thanks to long-standing relationships between China’s chief climate negotiator, Xie Zhenhua, and top US officials such as climate envoy John Kerry and physicist John Holdren. Tensions have also been high between China and Canada over the past few years, but policymakers and researchers from the two countries worked constructively at the COP15 biodiversity summit, which was led by China.

But the COVID-19 pandemic continued to provide textbook examples of nations working in their own interests. The governments of a relatively small number of wealthy countries had already bought and hoarded vaccines from pharmaceutical companies in Europe and the United States (Nature 607, 211–212; 2022). Together, these countries opposed an international campaign (in which Nature was proud to play a small part) urging the sharing of vaccines, therapies and intellectual property. Had they listened to the World Health Organization chief, who repeatedly said that “no one is safe until everyone is safe”, more people in low- and middle-income countries would have been taken advantage of.

The Rise of Trade in the United States and China as a Challenge for the Science-Based Reform of the 21st Century in the Age of Cold War

The Ukrainian government is advised by the Scientific Committee of the National Council of Ukraine for Science and Technology Development, which has already developed proposals for the revival of science. The assessment of the state of educational and scientific infrastructure is the first priority and should be done in conjunction with international partners.

The incentives for researchers to publish in international journals ended in China two years ago. It’s in no one’s interests if China’s researchers become more isolated from their international counterparts (Nature 579, 8; 2020). Sadly, this is starting to happen. The number of co-authored papers between researchers in the United States and China has fallen for the first time in 20 years. There has been a drop in the number of authors reporting dual US and China affiliations on their research papers, too.

The era of strong countries encouraging open markets looked like it could be a turning point in the rivalry between the two countries. The United States is restricting sales by US companies (and non-US companies that use US technology) to China of the types of microchip that are used in artificial intelligence and supercomputing. US citizens are not allowed to work for Chinese technology companies. It also encourages African countries to become an alternative base for technology cooperation, partly because it wants countries to partner with itself instead of China. China retaliated against the US by lodging a dispute with the WTO, arguing that the move is against free trade rules that both countries have signed up to.

A new uncertainty complex with war, climate risks and associated economic shocks is what economist Pedro Conceio calls a new uncertainty. There will be more instances of countries raising trade barriers and making moves to protect their economies as a result.

That said, governments must accept that they have responsibilities to ensure the integrity of international cooperation in science-based policymaking. The responsibility of climate change will fall to the United Arab UAE, who will be in charge of the next climate summit.

The Eastern-Ukrainian Center for Medical Genetics and Prenatal Diagnosis (EASTCMD) in Mariupol, Ukraine

For my colleagues and me, the war in Ukraine did not begin on 24 February 2022. The puppet government was installed by Russia in the east of my country. The Eastern-Ukrainian Center for Medical Genetics and Prenatal Diagnosis, a state-of-the-art facility which I founded and have headed for many years, was originally located in Donetsk, the capital of the Donbas.

We expressed our pro-Ukrainian stance in public and refused to become an institution. We moved to Mariupol, 100 or so kilometres south in unoccupied Ukraine and resumed work.

In March 2022, soon after the full Russian invasion, our new home was completely destroyed, as was the building in which my colleagues and I rented apartments. We were able to escape within a few days. Those who had to leave elderly parents who were living with them, stayed in their basement waiting for help. We were unsure of their fate for weeks.

Once again, we survived all the adversities. Our centre might have gone, but our knowledge and experience wasn’t captured. Some colleagues with children moved abroad, and others settled in friendly institutions in western Ukraine and continue to collaborate remotely. Our centre now operates in Kyiv, conducting prenatal screening and other types of genetic testing.

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-00518-y

The courage that Ukrainian scientists have shown during the first few months of war, and consequences for the quality and integrity of scientific research in the 21st century

The first time I regretted I wasn’t young and could not be part of the scientists who joined the army fighting for fundamental values was when the war began, and most readers don’t take for granted: freedom and independence. I donated my car to volunteers, among whom there are many scientists, in particular my close friend physicist Anton Senenko.

I appreciated his updates on the people who could be saved from the site of a notorious massacre in the early stages of the war. The scientist we knew was killed just two weeks ago, Bizhan Sharopov, who was last seen in April.

The courage that Ukrainian people are showing is beyond words and not limited to those on the battlefields. Suffering the grief of losing family members, staying in basements without water and food, living now often without light and heat, the whole Ukrainian people is enduring severe deprivation with dignity and unbroken spirit.

As far as possible,Ukraine’s scientists are in the global scientific community. Some of us have received grants from other countries. I was lucky to obtain the Researchers at Risk Fellowship established by the British Academy and the Royal Society with the Council for At-Risk Academics, allowing me to persevere in my work researching the causes of pre-eclampsia. I hope that the results will serve my country after victory.

The consequences of the war are superimposed on previous problems. The Ministry of Education and Science, which is responsible for assessing the quality and integrity of Ukrainian scientific research, is not fit to perform those tasks. The minister of education and science was himself accused of plagiarism in his earlier scientific work, an allegation upheld by the Ukrainian National Agency for Quality Assurance of Higher Education, although the matter has since been contested on a procedural technicality in the courts. There needs to be zero tolerance of any corruption that threatens the development of the country, especially when it comes to the candidacy for European Union membership.