| Description: |
Founded in July 2003, the Ethics Institute of Utrecht University builds upon the University's 15 years of experience in research, education and consultancy in the fields of bio-ethics and health law. It currently employs some 20 staff, including doctors, veterinarians, social scientists and, of course, theologians and philosophers. The Ethics Institute participates in many educational programmes, including Medicine, Biology, Pharmacy and Veterinary Science, teaching courses such as Patient and Medicines, Bio-ethics for Biologists and Ethics for Medical Students. It is also involved in various postgraduate programmes at Utrecht University and other universities, and increasingly provides courses for third parties (e.g., training courses for other universities or for staff in care institutions). Utrecht University has hosted the secretaries of the Societas Ethica (1991-1995), the International Association for Bioethics (1997-2002) and the Netherlands Association for Bioethics (1997-2002), and since 1999 has hosted the Secretariat of the European Society for Agricultural and Food Ethics (EurSafe).
All ethics research conducted by Utrecht University resides within the Ethics Institute. The key strengths of our applied research lie in issues relating to healthcare ethics, animal ethics and food ethics. On a more theoretical level, we have expertise in research into the methodology of applied ethics, ethics in relation to law, information technology, economics and public policy and the relationship between social sciences and ethics. Research projects are financed by Utrecht University, the Dutch government, advisory bodies, the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), ZONMw, businesses and the European Union. Our research forms part of the research of the Netherlands School for Research in Practical Philosophy. |