Welcome to Basic Bioethics

Program: General Course

Description
Bioethics is a broad term covering several fields of moral judgment, ethical reflection and assessment related to the field of health science and health profession. As a researcher in health science, bioethics is often simply equivalent with seeking ethical approval for your study from some form of establishment, such as a scientific ethics committee. However, many researchers also reflect on or even struggle with moral issues that is not adequately resolved by an external approval. For many, questions of value, integrity or even purpose and meaning resonate in the experiences, challenges, cooperations, actions etc. of which they take part. In this course, we wish to take those questions serious, and provide a forum and a qualification for reflecting upon them.

 During the course we will present and discuss formal systems of evaluation and assessment, but we will also look at forms of informal evaluation and assessment, and hereby explore questions of scientific virtues, risks and benefits, and the human relationships that also govern and define health science research. In these discussions we will also address some of the more basic moral theories and ideas that warrant the different evaluation systems, positions and opinions.     

To reflect on values and broader consequences, as well as to reflect on oneself and the roll and actions one undertakes as a researcher, is a way to strengthen the research both in terms of its contribution to society and related to one’s own integrity, purpose, and responsibility. It is also valuable for researchers to acknowledge and be able to formulate bioethical concerns as part of applications for future research grants.       

The course is organised as three full day sessions. Each session consists of lectures, exercises, and workshop activities. The sessions will be supplemented by literature and video material. The participants are encouraged to bring their own experiences, thoughts and PhD projects to the discussions and exercises.       

Literature/Requirements
Relevant papers and book chapters will be made available prior to each session.

Prerequisites
No prior knowledge of bioethics or ethics in general is needed.

Evaluation
Active participation, including short assignments and presentations during the course.

Organisers 

Professor Winnie Jensen, email: wj@hst.aau.dk

Associate Professor Patrik Kjærsdam Telléus

Professor Winnie Jensen

Invited speakers

Important information concerning PhD courses

There is a no-show fee of DKK 3,000 for each course where the student does not show up. Cancellations are accepted no later than 2 weeks before the start of the course. Registered illness is of course an acceptable reason for not showing up on those days. Furthermore, all courses open for registration approximately four months before start of the course.

We cannot ensure any seats before the deadline for enrolment, all participants will be informed after the deadline, approximately 3 weeks before the start of the course.

To attend courses at the Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology you must be enrolled as a PhD student.

For inquiries regarding registration, cancellation or waiting list, please contact the PhD administration at phdcourses@adm.aau.dk When contacting us please state the course title and course period. Thank you.