Journal of Iranian Cultural Research

Journal of Iranian Cultural Research

From prestige to survival: The cultural-political metamorphosis of Russia’s science diplomacy policies

Articles in Press

Document Type : Scientific Research Manuscript

Authors
Mohammad Hosein Shoaee 1
Mehdi Rahimi 2
1 Assistant Professor of Culture and Communication, Department of Communication and Media, Faculty of Islamic Studies and Culture and Communication, Imam Sadiq University, Tehran, Iran
2 Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Revolution, Research Institute of Culture and Islamic Thought, Tehran, Iran
10.22035/jicr.2027.3675.3878
Abstract
Russia’s science, technology, and innovation (STI) diplomacy has undergone a fundamental transformation following Western sanctions after the Ukraine crisis (2022). This study aims to identify the nature, dimensions, and consequences of this transformation and to extract lessons for the Islamic Republic of Iran. Using a qualitative systematic review of upstream documents, policy reports, and academic literature up to 2026, and employing thematic analysis, the study identifies six main themes and twenty-one sub-themes. Russian science diplomacy has shifted from a “soft instrument for reproducing prestige” to a “hard pillar of national security doctrine and survival resilience.” This metamorphosis can be analyzed in three stages: innovation-oriented integration (2011–2014), gradual securitization (2014–2021), and technological sovereignty and geopolitical rearrangement (2022 onward). Key findings include: (1) structural securitization of the science ecosystem, with command of mega-projects transferred from the Academy of Sciences to the Security Council; (2) a strategic geographical shift toward China, BRICS, and the Global South; and (3) three structural challenges: the security-innovation paradox, the erosion of knowledge quality due to exclusion from global citation databases, and the risk of asymmetric dependence on Chinese technology. Russia’s experience shows that success in science diplomacy requires balancing technological security, international scientific engagement, human capital development, and diversification of technological partners. For Iran, moving beyond absolute self-sufficiency toward “smart networked resilience”—localizing the hard core of technology while actively connecting to non-Western knowledge chains—is essential in science diplomacy policymaking.

Keywords
science diplomacy
technological sovereignty
Russia
resilience
cultural-political metamorphosis
Iran
Subjects
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Journal of Iranian Cultural Research

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 22 December 2026

  • Receive Date 12 June 2026
  • Revise Date 23 August 2026
  • Accept Date 30 August 2026