On 4 June, 15.00-16.00 local time in Sao Paulo (20.00-21.00 CEST), Paulo Martins interviews Ineke Malsch about the EthicSchool summerschool on Ethics of Emerging Technologies. The interview is scheduled in the weekly programme “Nanotechnology Inside Out” that is broadcasted via an internet TV channel based in Brazil. The interview will be held in English and translated in Portuguese. It is listed here:  http://www.nanotecnologiadoavesso.org/tv

The EthicSchool summerschool for which 25 participants have already registered will be held online 9-13 September 2013, see www.ethicschool.nl/survey.

Today, EthicSchool newsletter 8 was released. It includes the following items:

Register now for workshop Biosecurity in Practice

Nayeli Arias: new intern in Malsch TechnoValuation

NanoEIS featured in AIRI/Nanotec IT newsletter.

Download the newsletter here.

On 18 June 2013, Ineke Malsch will present the poster "EthicSchool: Training Responsible Nano-Innovation"during the EuroNanoforum 2013 conference in Dublin. The poster will include the concept behind EthicSchool, some results and opportunities for future cooperation.

An EthicSchool workshop for professionals

Thursday 23 May 2013, 14.00-17.00 hrs

Business Centre Vondelparc II, Vondellaan 76-174, 3521 GH Utrecht, NL. Online participation (webinar) is possible on demand.

Max. 12 participants. In English or Dutch (depending on participants)

Costs: Professionals €250.- excl. VAT (21%) p.p. incl. documentation and catering. (PhD-) students and online participants €150.- excl. VAT (21%) p.p.

Learn about recent developments in international biosecurity (self-)regulation and political discussions. Test the RIVM Biosecurity Self-scan Toolkit and gain insight in dilemmas, pros and cons concerning biosecurity through group discussions on practical cases, like the H5N1 bird flu virus, the international iGEM competition in synthetic biology, or international trade in dual use substances. Participants in the EthicSchool Workshop Responsible Innovation in Life Sciences: Biosecurity by Design, 6-11-2012 were particularly enthusiastic about the discussion on practical cases.

Speakers: Dr. Koos van der Bruggen and Dr. Ineke Malsch (Malsch TechnoValuation)

Download the programme here.

Register via the form on the left of this page. Info: postbus@malsch.demon.nl

Today, EthicSchool circulated newsletter 7 to the mailing list. Contents:

Who controls Human Enhancement

EthicSchool features RIVM Biosecurity Self-scan toolkit

Gorgoni and Altmann speak during summerschool Ethics of Emerging Technologies

Discuss your needs for nanotechnology education in Dublin

Ineke Malsch interviewed on TV

Download the newsletter here. Subscribe to the newsletter via www.ethicschool.nl/english if you want to receive the monthly newsletter directly in your mailbox.

Participants in the EthicSchool workshop on 21 March played the DEMOCS game on Human Enhancement. Short stories, facts and ethical dilemma’s triggered a lively debate. Paul Challenger, the transhumanist dreams of improving his own body and mind with technology. Murdo the truck driver would like a chip in his eye, to see in infrared. Professor Annelie Beauchamp helps Parkinson patients with electrodes in their brains, and hesitates about non-medical applications. Teacher Margaret Stevens worries about students who take Ritalin to get higher grades. Opinions diverged, but all participants agreed that the question “who controls Human Enhancement?” was the most important issue. Scientists and companies should not take decisions by themselves, but who should decide and how to involve ordinary citizens remains open.

Who also wants to play the game can download it from the website of EdinEthics: http://www.edinethics.co.uk/Ethentech/democsgame.htm

During the World Social Forum, 26-30 March 2013 in Tunis, two workshops will be organised on nanotechnology. The Observatory of Nanotechnology in Americas organises Nanosummit for Nanoactivists I & II, and the Brazilian network on nanotechnology, society & environment RENANOSOMA organises workshops on Nanotechnology and Public Engagement I & II. Both will take place on Thursday 28 March, 13.00-19.00 local time in Tunis (GMT +1 hr), and will be webstreamed live via: http://www.justin.tv/nanotechnologyinsideout.

WORKSHOP 1  PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IN NANOTECHNOLOGY 13H TO 15:30H

WORKSHOP 2  REGULATION IN NANOTECHNOLOGY   16:00H TO 18:30H

EthicSchool newsletter 6 has just been sent to the EthicSchool e-mail list, featuring the following announcements:

Meet dual use biosecurity expert Koos van der Bruggen

Update summerschool Ethics of Emerging Technologies

Share your views on nanotechnology education

Download the newsletter here, or sign up to receive it every month in your inbox.

Last week, the European Commission published an advice by Prof. Jeroen van den Hoven (TU Delft, NL) c.s. including options for strengthening responsible research and innovation. The international experts favour that the European Commission should play a coordinating role. They offer four policy options: 1) business as usual, 2) a modest increase of European support for responsible innovation, 3) dialogue and networking about voluntary measures by EU member states, and 4) legally enforced European regulation. Options 2 and 3 appear the most promising. Concrete proposals for European measures include: integrating criteria for responsible innovation in the guidelines for European research subsidies in Horizon 2020 (2014-2020), and funding projects incorporating responsible innovation actions.

The experts propose addressing companies by developing formal voluntary standards, building upon the ISO 26000 norms for Social Responsibility and the work in progress in the CEN TC 389 on standards for innovation management. Educating science and engineering students in responsible innovation is deemed essential, but limited to suggestions for embedding this in university curriculums. Vocational training where most industrial personnel is educated and life long training for professionals remain out of scope. EthicSchool offers the latter. These proposals for new European policies sketch a suitable framework for EthicSchool’s initiatives for putting responsible innovation in practice. Read more about this in this paper, presented by Ineke Malsch during the online 2nd World Sustainability Forum, 1-30 November 2012: http://www.sciforum.net/conf/wsf2/

Participate in the survey of needs for employees educated in nanotechnology by the European project NanoEIS (Nanotechnology Education for Industry and Society):  http://nanoeis.eu/sites/default/files/NANOEIS-questionnaire.docx

Several universities have been offering nanotechnology education for some years. Is this offer relevant to your needs as employer? Or would you rather have personnel with a Vocational Training in nanotechnology? What are essential courses that should be included in curricula? Tell us about it and contribute to a better connection between nanotechnology education and the labour market. The survey is anonymous, but if you would like to receive a copy of the report, send an e-mail to Paula Queipo Rodriguez: pqr@prodintec.com The deadline for completing the survey is 31 January 2013. The report will be published by the summer of 2013 at www.nanoeis.eu