Forschungsfreiheit und ihre Grenzen (Freedom of research and its limits)

Chair of the discussion
Prof. Dr. Thomas Groß, Osnabrück University

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Freedom of research is a fundamental right and an important element of our democratic society. It opens up opportunities and progress and we benefit from scientific achievements in many different ways. Artificial intelligence, biotechnology, brain and stem cell research, nuclear science – but many branches of research also involve ethical dilemmas and in almost all fields of science there is a risk that useful research results can be misused for harmful purposes. Certain research topics repeatedly trigger public debates and sometimes there are also calls for legal restrictions on scientific freedom. Although the protection of free research is by no means unlimited, the handling of sensitive data, the use of AI and experiments involving humans and animals certainly raise fundamental questions. What is science allowed to do? What is its ethical responsibility? Where do the boundaries of research begin and who defines them?

April 16, 2024, University auditorium, 6 p.m., Neuer Graben 29/Castle