Beyond the Lab: Balancing Ethics, Risks, and Responsibility in Research

In today's rapidly evolving research landscape, the integrity and security of research are paramount. How do we maintain the balance between interest in knowledge, academic freedom and responsibility? This and further questions will be discussed in a House of Commons debate hosted by the British Embassy Berlin and Wissenschaft im Dialog. The event will delve into the critical aspects of research security and the ethical responsibilities that are fundamental to scientific inquiries. Together with experts from different research areas, we want to look at the topic of research integrity as well as ethical dilemmas in science. How do we uphold core values such as trustworthiness in our research practices and avoid potential misuse of research and its results, e.g. in terms of dual-use? What are common ethical challenges in different research fields, and how can and should they be addressed? The discussion will explore fundamental questions concerning the freedom of research and how we can balance this with the need to protect our core interests.

Featured speakers:

— Prof Dr John-Dylan Haynes, psychologist and neuroscientist, director of the Berlin Center for Advanced Neuroimaging and Professor at the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin
— Jamie Arrowsmith, Director of Universities UK International (UUKi)
— Dr Nora Schultz, Consultant at the German Ethics Council

Moderation: Grace Dobush, freelance journalist

In the spirit of the House of Commons debate, the audience is cordially invited to contribute to the discussion and to show their approval or dissent by changing seats. After the discussion, the audience is invited to stay and join the experts for informal chats and drinks.

Participation is free of charge. Please register below by 9 September: https://eveeno.com/beyondthelab

There will be an entrance control at the event, please make sure you bring your ID.

Accessibility: The venue is wheelchair accessible. If you have any special needs or questions, please contact us at wissenschaftsjahre@w-i-d.de or by telephone on 030 2062 295-24.

The event is part of Wissenschaft kontrovers, an interactive discussion series organized by Wissenschaft im Dialog within the Science Year 2024 – Freedom. The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.