To content
University Alliance Ruhr

Council for Ethics and Responsibility Established

-
in
  • UA Ruhr
  • Top News
  • Higher Education Policy
Photo: A group photo of the UA Ruhr Council for Ethics and Responsibility next to a UA Ruhr display. The poster reads: “University Alliance Ruhr. Three universities, one community, endless opportunities” © RUB​/​Marquard
Seven of the nine members of the newly founded Council for Ethics and Responsibility (from left to right): Katja Ickstadt and Wolfgang Rhode (TU Dortmund University), Karola Marky, Stefan Huster and Eva Weber-Guskar (RUB), Christian Neuhäuser (TU Dortmund University) and Ulf Dittmer (UDE).
The University Alliance Ruhr (UA Ruhr) is strengthening its cooperation with a joint Council for Ethics and Responsibility. The newly established commission was constituted at the end of October 2024. The nine-member council will deal with important discussions on values in science and research within the UA Ruhr. These may include, for example, the assessment of science and technology, such as the civil clause, university activities in the public sphere in relation to the principle of neutrality and questions about the limits of individual freedom in the academic community.

Due to its composition, the Council covers a broad spectrum of subjects and expertise and is intended to enable diverse approaches and perspectives on the topics through this diversity. Its members include the following professors from Ruhr University Bochum (RUB), University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) and TU Dortmund University:

  • Ulf Dittmer, UDE, Medicine
  • Stefan Huster, RUB, Law
  • Katja Ickstadt, TU Dortmund University, Statistics
  • Elsa Kirchner, UDE, Medical Engineering
  • Nicole Krämer, UDE, Social Psychology
  • Karola Marky, RUB, IT Security
  • Christian Neuhäuser, TU Dortmund University, Philosophy
  • Wolfgang Rhode, TU Dortmund University, Astroparticle Physics
  • Eva Weber-Guskar, RUB, Practical Philosophy/AI

Their task is to discuss overarching topics and reflect on principles that local ethics commissions can also use as a guide when evaluating individual research projects. The aim is to set common guidelines for ethical action in challenging and complex times, both for the individual institutions and within the network, emphasize the heads of the three partner universities. “We hope that the Council for Ethics and Responsibility will provide fundamental, value-oriented statements as well as analyses and advice in complex consideration processes,” say the Rectors of the University of Duisburg-Essen, Ruhr University Bochum and the TU Dortmund University, Prof. Barbara Albert, Prof. Martin Paul and Prof. Manfred Bayer. Accordingly, the Council is a good complement to ethics commissions or ombuds offices at the three partner universities.

Homepage of the UA Ruhr