BEIJING, November 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Here is a report from the Science and Technology Daily:
The ethical issues raised by the development of science and technology concern the security and destiny of humanity. Research ethics, which includes a wide range of norms, values and institutional arrangements that govern research activities, will help ensure that researchers can be held accountable to the public.
According to Zhang Wenxia, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Science and Technology for Development, research ethics is about maximizing benefits and minimizing harms and risks that may occur in R&D activities.
To ensure effective ethical control of the various sectors, China created the National Ethics Committee for Science and Technology in 2020. In the revised version Science and Technology Advancement Act, section 103 specifies that the committee must perfect the ethical standards. Zhang said strengthening ethical governance is an intrinsic requirement to promote the sustainable progress of science and technology innovation in the new stage of development.
Improving ethics education
Article 103 also stipulates that the country will strengthen teaching and research in ethics and improve the examination, evaluation and supervision system.
Zhang said ethics research includes the study of risks, cultures, laws, social influences and communication with the public. And ethics education not only covers researchers and postgraduate students, but also extends to training the management ability of ethics review workers and training professional talent teams.
Associations and research companies should take an active role in ethics education in their respective fields, Zhang added.
Complete the ethics system
Research institutes, universities, companies and other public institutions are responsible for the governance of research ethics. The ethics review mechanism should be established and improved for the review of research activities, says Article 103.
In this regard, Zhang explained that these organizations should establish a regular working mechanism and be active in analyzing and resolving ethical issues that have arisen in research activities in time.
Regarding the management of research activities, Mr. Zhang said that the ethical review of research projects and articles involving the use of animals, human subjects and the living environment should be strengthened before proceeding. to be approved or published.
Zhang pointed out that many provinces of China have established or are in the process of establishing their research ethics boards. To ensure quality review, for regions and institutes whose qualifications are not strong enough for a committee, a shared committee at the provincial level is an option.
China ethics is relatively mature in the fields of medicine and life sciences, and dominates the world in artificial intelligence, Zhang said, suggesting that other key areas that are subject to ethical risks should formulate their own ethical standards as soon as possible, and adjust and improve according to new situations encountered in practice.
No blind pursuit of profits
Risks and benefits are the two sides of research activities. Modern science, especially emerging technologies, is full of uncertainties.
Studying and evaluating potential risks is necessary before developing new technologies, and preventive measures should be proposed to deal with any emergencies, Zhang said, noting that research should be suspended if the risks are greater than the real benefits, such as economic value. and application prospects.
It should also be noted that a researcher cannot get to the bottom of research from the start, Zhang said, adding that research is like an iceberg. The deeper the research, the more the iceberg will rise to the surface. Faced with new uncertainties during research, researchers are required to have an ethical conscience in making decisions and adjusting strategies accordingly, in order to ensure responsible research for the well-being of the humanity.
SOURCE Science and Technology Daily
