A conference in Tucson later this month will bring together scientists and diplomats to work on global policies on the environment and sustainable development in the Americas.
Representatives from 10 countries will gather Feb. 22-24 at the summit hosted by the University of Arizona. It coincides with a new administration in Washington, D.C., that has many people in the science and technology realms worried about collaboration among nations.
William Colglazier is a former science and technology adviser to two U.S. secretaries of state and will chair the conference.
“Right now as I think many people have recognized, there is a lot of concern about some of the directions the new administration has announced early on, so in some sense all of that makes the conference in Tucson a very timely endeavor," said Colglazier.
Colglazier said the U.S. government has recognized that scientific and technological engagement has provided a bridge and kept communications open when relations have been difficult or non-existent between nations.