The Role of Transnational University Networks in the Swiss Multilevel Science Diplomacy Field: Accumulation, Reproduction and Conversion of Glocal Capital

The term “science diplomacy” (SD) has been increasingly in the limelight within academic and policy-making spheres. While SD conceptualisation from the standpoint of non-state actors is not common, the activities of universities are crucial to the success of SD. Therefore, this article examines why and how Swiss universities engage in SD at national, European and global levels with the particular focus on their involvement in transnational university networks (TUN). The case of Switzerland was chosen because of its high level scientific achievements and long-standing tradition of SD. Adopting a flexible conceptual framework combining a Bourdieusian language of different forms of capital with elements of social network analysis this article provides a conceptualisation of the role of Swiss universities as members of the Swiss multilevel SD field, based on data from documents and website materials of relevant Swiss organisations, as well as semi-structured interviews with representatives of Swiss universities and other Swiss organisations engaged in SD. The paper identifies specific factors determining “insider” or “outsider” status of Swiss universities in the multilevel field of Swiss SD which allows to map the structural topography of their positions in this field according to the volume and structure of their capital. The study shows the importance of the network capital, which can be defined as membership or coordination in TUN. The particular status of Switzerland in EU funding programmes necessitates influencing EU research policies. This may be provided by universities with the membership in TUN which possess a political access to EU institutions, and often Swiss universities are members of such organizations headquartered in Brussels, which in their turn benefit from having partners in Switzerland (mostly in Geneva). Membership in TUN can also be an additional or alternative strategy to bilateral relations, which is widely adopted by Swiss universities, which are not only active members of TUN, but also play important roles in their governance. Membership and coordinating of TUN, when they are effective, demonstrate the potential of capital conversion in Bourdieusian terms, as they not only build network capital, but also enhance the value of other forms of capital. TUN represent different benefits for their members from the most material ones, such as funding of joint projects, to the most intangible ones, such as reputation and influence. However, the reproduction of this capital requires a permanent “effort of sociability”, which makes network members bear certain costs in terms of time, human resources and economic capital. Therefore, universities should be strategic in their choice of networks to join. This paper conceptualises the role of Swiss universities in the Swiss multilevel SD field, distinguishing four strategic groups of actors from the most “dominant” to the most “dominated” according to the positions they occupy in the Swiss multilevel SD field in terms of the forms of capital (network and strategy) which they possess and which are the most recognized in the Swiss multilevel SD field. Therefore, this study contributes both empirically and theoretically to the scholarly debates related to the SD as a concept and practice.