Promoting science in French: a driving force for the economy and science diplomacy in the French-speaking world

The urgent need to mobilize science in French

Science plays a central role in resolving the economic, environmental and social challenges we face. Yet its dissemination and accessibility face – a major obstacle: the predominance of English as the language of scientific communication. While this may facilitate global exchange, it also creates barriers for the millions of non-native English speakers, limiting their access to scientific discussions and technological advances.

This situation is not without impact on Francophone communities, particularly in countries where French is an official or cultural language. French, an international language spoken by more than 320 million people across five continents, must play a key role in democratizing science and enriching its cultural perspectives.

A lever for the global economy 

Promoting science in French is not just a cultural concern: it can also be a powerful economic driver. Investing in research and innovation so that they can be conducted, disseminated and deployed in French fosters solutions that are tailored to local realities. Appropriating science in French and translating it into innovation and economic development requires concrete initiatives for more effective promotion within communities.

A flagship initiative in Québec is the creation of a university network supporting more than 60 French-language scientific journals, free of charge and accessible to all. This project, funded with $10 million over five years, covers disciplines ranging from the social sciences to health technologies. The initiative aims to pool relevant journal production operations and encourage researchers to publish in French, while guaranteeing the free circulation of their work across borders.

At the same time, monthly prizes have been introduced to reward the best French-language publications across all research sectors. These prizes promote scientific production in French and help inspire young researchers.

Boosting the use of French in science also has tangible economic repercussions, particularly on the African continent, where French speakers are expected to account for 85% of the world’s Francophone population by 2050. Publishing in French enhances the use of science  impact and promotes regional economic development.

Science diplomacy: a Francophone priority

In a world marked by growing geopolitical tensions, science diplomacy is becoming an essential tool for fostering international cooperation and resolving major global challenges.

Since 2021, I have had the honour of serving as the president of the International Network for Government Scientific Advice (INGSA). This platform brings together experts, decision-makers and academic institutions to strengthen governments’ capacity to integrate science into their public policies.

INGSA prioritizes  promoting multilingualism as a vector for international collaboration. By encouraging the use of local languages, such as French, in scientific exchanges, INGSA helps ensure a diversity of approaches and equity in global debates.

One of INGSA’s key initiatives is to support the training of African decision-makers in science advice. These efforts include multilingual workshops and resources adapted to local realities, enabling governments to better integrate scientific expertise and data into their strategic decisions.

The Francophone Network on Science Advice (Réseau francophone international en conseil scientifique, RFICS), a linguistic division of INGSA, is another pillar of Francophone science diplomacy. Created at Québec’s initiative, this network aims to strengthen the scientific capacity of Francophone countries.

With a budget of $2 million over five years, RFICS trains local experts, supports the creation of national science councils and facilitates interdisciplinary collaborations. Its impact is particularly visible in Africa, where it is helping transform science into a lever for sustainable development and innovation.

Strategic initiatives to promote science in French

The discoverability of scientific content in French is essential to ensuring its impact. To meet this challenge, Québec has, among other things, created a chair dedicated to increase the discoverability of scientific content in French, whose co-holder is also the UNESCO Chair in Open Science. This initiative is accompanied by efforts to include French-language works in major international databases, thereby enhancing their visibility.

Québec supports more than sixty free open-access scientific journals, mainly in the fields of humanities, social sciences, arts and literature, and aspires to see the creation of other journals in health, natural sciences and intersectoral fields. By making their content freely available to authors and readers around the world, these journals promote equity and inclusion in the dissemination of knowledge.

Popularisation is a key lever for connecting science and society. Initiatives such as the production of scientific content in French on digital platforms amplify the reach of scholarly research to a young audience and counter misinformation. These efforts also boost interest in scientific careers and encourage scientific literacy in French-speaking communities.

Science and the economy: a circular dynamic

Economics and science are mutually enriching. In Africa, centres such as the Centre d’Etudes Linguistiques et historiques par Tradition Orale (CELHTO) are demonstrating how digitization and publication in local languages increase the socio-economic impact of research.

In addition, platforms such as SciELO, initially developed in Brazil, are inspiring similar efforts in the Francophone world. These initiatives show that strategic investment in French-language science can stimulate regional collaboration and global innovation.

Together for multilingual and inclusive science

Science in French is much more than a simple communication tool. It is a key to more effective diplomacy, a fairer economy and more accessible research. This is true not just for French, but also for other major languages and local languages. The increasing anglicization of science, which monopolizes around 90% of the world’s scientific publications, is reducing the potential for effective evidence-based decision making and in the social and economic development of regions or communities where English is not the mother tongue.

By building on initiatives such as those described here, we can transform the French-speaking scientific community into a driving force for global change. This will require a collective effort from everyone involved – researchers, decision-makers and citizens alike.