Back to General Courses of WGS
New dates to be determined
Introduction
Life scientists are more and more confronted with ethical issues, both intra-scientific developments (like non-discrimination on the workplace, treatment of research subjects and conflicts on publication) and from outside science, i.e. from society, like the concern with biotechnology, food safety or the role of private interests in food production. These questions will be dealt with in this course from an ethical point of view; students will be trained in dealing with these issues in an ethically clear and rational way.
The course consists of 4 two-hour workshop meetings in which participants’ and other dilemmas, texts and lectures will be intensively discussed.
Extension of the course is possible up to 3 ECTS, by writing a paper.
On the first meeting, there will be a discussion on the basis of dilemmas presented by the participants and the teacher and a method will be presented for tackling dilemmas. After the first meeting we will have dinner. In the second meeting Dr. Roger Busch, director of the Institute for Applied Ethics and Dialogue, Maximilian Universität München will give a lecture on Ethical Impacts of Public Perceptions of Biotechnology. Dr Busch wrote numerous studies on the ethics of life sciences. The subsequent meetings will be devoted to substantive ethical issues, like the relationship between life sciences and society, genetic modification of crops and the ethics of publication; we will also discuss the (supposed) value freedom of science, the distinction between description and prescription and other topics that are of interest to the participants.
General Information
Target Group: Social, Plant, Animal as well as Environmental Science PhD students of all Wageningen Graduate Schools. Staff members are aslo invited to participate. There are no special prerequisites for the course.
Group size: 10-20 participants
Course duration: 4 afternoon session
Language: English
Number of credits: 1 ECTS or 3 ECTS (when the course is extended by writing a paper). Attendance and active participation; including one oral presentation.
Lecturers: Prof. Michiel Korthals (Applied Philosophy, WU), tel: +31 (0)317-483719/+31 (0)317-484178
Venue: De Leeuwenborch (building 127), Room C75 or Mansholtzaal, Hollandseweg 1, Wageningen
Programme
Wednesday March 5: 14:15 - 16:15 hrs
Discussion about several ethical dilemmas and short cases.
Introduction into ethics; Five Step Scheme of Managing Ethical Problems
Read: Korthals, chapter 5-6
Dinner, Evening March 5
Wednesday March 19: 15:15 - 17:00 hrs
Guest speaker: Prof. Roger Busch, Ethical Impacts of the Public Perception of Biotechnology
Wednesday April 2: 14:15 - 16:15 hrs
Dilemmas of ethics of doing research: colleagues, gender, publications and communication to the public
Read: Korthals & Bogers, Chapter 4-6
Wednesday April 23: 14:15 - 16:15 hrs
Discussion on science, politics and ethical dilemmas when doing research for industrial or societal organizations: presentation by students
Required Reading:
Korthals, M., 2004, Before Dinner. Philosophy and Ethics of Food. Springer (Ch 2,3,5,6), copies will be distributed upon registration.
Korthals, M., and R. Bogers (eds.), 2004, Professional Ethics, Kluwer (on the web: http://library.wur.nl/frontis/ethics/toc_ethics.html) (chapter 4-6)
Course fee
This course is offered by Wageningen Graduate Schools (WGS)
PhDs of WU* with an approved Education Plan (TSP) of one of the WGS** and postdocs of WU registered at one of the WGS** will pay 150 euro. All others pay 300 euro.
* or PhDs graduating at WU / participation is possible until one year after the PhD contract has ended
** EPS, CERES, MGS, PE&RC, VLAG, WIAS, WIMEK
The fee includes study and training material, coffee / tea and lunches
Registration
The minimum number of participants is 10 and the maximum is 20. Admittance to the course takes place in the order of registration.
Please register following the link:
http://www.sls.wau.nl/mi/mgs/procedures_and_forms/Course_registration_form.htm
Information
For further information about the content of the course please contact Michiel Korthals: Michiel.Korthals@wur.nl
For details about logistics, accommodation, registration, fees, study materials, etc. please contact
Marcella Haan
Tel +310317 484126
Marcella.Haan@wur.nl