Permanent Working Group Science and Ethics

The ALLEA Permanent Working Group on Science and Ethics (PWGSE) is concerned with a wide range of issues, both ‘internal’ (within the scientific community) and ‘external’ (relations between science and society). Since ethical considerations have been an essential component in the consolidation of a united Europe, and also in the creation of ALLEA, the PWGSE was established to bring together experts from academies across Europe and provide them with a platform for continuous debate on research ethics and research integrity.

Programme of action

The PWGSE has been extending its capacities and activities during recent years, in order to adequately fulfil its mission of collective deliberation on topics such as research integrity, ethics education in science and research training, ethics of scientific policy advice, trust in science, scientific misconduct, and plagiarism, among others.

Further issues recently addressed include dual use, ethical aspects of risks, science and human rights, support for higher education and research in Palestine, research on human embryos, synthetic biology, nanotechnologies etc. Additionally, the group provides expertise for the Horizon 2020 funded ENERI project (European Network of Research Ethics and Research Integrity), which aims to train experts in ethics related issues and to harmonise research integrity infrastructures across Europe.

The PWGSE meets regularly and has also convened thematic meetings in wider settings, typically in partnerships with other relevant organisations such as the European Commission, the European Science Foundation (ESF), the International Council for Science (ICSU), or UNESCO, among many others. The members of the PWGSE drew on its extensive network of experts and institutions for the successful execution of the revision process.

Current and past topics

Research Integrity
Plagiarism
Ethics Education as part of research training
Ethics of scientific policy advice
Emerging issues: synthetic biology, nanotechnology, robotics a.o.
Role of Ethics Committees
Support for Higher Education and research in Palestine
Science and Human Rights
Trust in science

Members of the Permanent Working Group Science and Ethics

Göran Hermerén (Chair) – Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities
Anna Benaki – Academy of Athens (Greece)
Anne Fagot-Largeault – Académie des Sciences (France)
László Fésüs – Hungarian Academy of Sciences
Maura Hiney – Royal Irish Academy
Bertil Emrah Oder – The Science Academy (Turkey)
Deborah Oughton – Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters
Roger Pfister – The Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences
Pere Puigdomenech – Royal Academy of Sciences and Arts of Barcelona (Spain)
Michael Quante – Union of German Academies of Sciences and Humanities
Zbigniew Szawarski – Polish Academy of Sciences
Els Van Damme – Royal Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts of Belgium
Martin van Hees – Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
Krista Varantola – Council of Finnish Academies
Raivo Uibo – Estonian Academy of Sciences

Workshop on Ethical Aspects of Open Access

The PWGSE organised the workshop “Ethical Aspects of Open Access: A Windy Road” hosted by the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts (KVAB) at the Academy Palace in Brussels on 1 February 2018.

Please find the workshop report presentations of the day here.

To check the concept and programme of the event, please click here.