Leopoldina Symposium focuses on human rights violations in sciences and humanities

The second Human Rights and Science symposium of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina was held in Strasbourg. At the event scientists and scholars, representatives of human rights organisations, and delegates from European academies of sciences and humanities came together to discuss human rights violations in academic work. The ethics of biosciences were the main focus of the public symposium.

Researchers regularly face human rights issues in their work. In some countries - including those in Europe - they repeatedly come against state repression if they publicly express their opinions or criticise social injustices. They must also often ask themselves if their work violates human rights - for example from the perspective of medical ethics. From 8 to 9 September the Human Rights Committee (HRC) of the Leopoldina held its second symposium on this topic. It invited scientists and scholars, representatives of human rights organisations, and delegates from European academies of sciences and humanities to come together at the Palais d'Europe in Strasbourg and discuss the worldwide violation of human rights in academic work and of researchers and students.

Prof. Hans-Peter Zenner, member of the Leopoldina Presidium and chair of the Human Rights Committee, underlines the necessity to enhance the coordination of the human rights activities of all the players in this field, particularly with the European Federation of National Academies of Sciences and Humanities (ALLEA). In addition to reports from European academies of sciences and humanities, participants also heard about the Council of Europe's activities in the field of bioethics, and about the work of the European Court of Human Rights. A valuable contribution was the report and the discussion of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus.

Provided by Leopoldina