Schloss Herrenhausen in Hanover hosted a symposium series on research ethics from November 2 to November 4, 2022, organized by the VolkswagenStiftung. The event addressed ethical questions raised by scientific work, particularly highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic when researchers moved to the center of public discourse.
According to the VolkswagenStiftung, open, transparent, and dialogue-oriented handling of ethical questions forms the basis for sustainable public trust in science. The foundation invited academic submissions through November 2, 2021, focusing on current and upcoming scientific-ethical challenges as well as fundamental possibilities and limits of research ethics.
Interdisciplinary Exchange Across Civil Society
The symposia were designed to encourage an exchange extending beyond purely specialized academic perspectives. Organizers incorporated actors from politics, science funding, science management, and the wider civil society into the discussions.
According to the event framework, the gatherings took place at the Xplanatorium Schloss Herrenhausen conference center in Hanover. The application process followed the specific guidelines outlined in the foundation’s symposium funding initiative and dedicated documentation.
Background on the VolkswagenStiftung Initiative
The call for proposals on research ethics operated as part of the VolkswagenStiftung’s broader symposia funding line. The foundation noted that the prominence of scientists during the first eighteen months of the pandemic underscored the central role research plays in modern societies and the accompanying need for structured societal dialogue.