DUAL USE BIOETHICS AND LIFE SCIENTISTS EDUCATION IN UKRAINE: FOCUS ON NEUROSCIENCE

Olena KysilPalladin Institute of Biochemistry of the

National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine

bs.conf@gmail.com Bradford, September 17-18, 2012

2010/2012 – “Biosecurity Education in Ukraine” project 5327, supported by DFAIT, Global Partnership Program, Canada through STCU:

- Survey on current state of biosafety, biosecurity and dual-use bioethics education, 2010/2011 (in collaboration with Bradford University, UK);

- Seminar “Biosafety and Biosecurity Education in Ukraine”, Kyiv, Ukraine, April 26, 2012 (together with Bradford University, UK);

- Breakfast Meeting “Recent Developments in Education and Awareness Raising on Biosafety and Biosecurity in Ukraine and the UK”, BWC Meeting of Experts, Geneva, Switzerland, July 17, 2012 (together with Bradford University, UK)

RECENT AWARENESS RAISING INITIATIVES and EDUCATIONAL PROJETCS in UKRAINE

2012, April 23-25 – International Conference "Biosafety and Biosecurity 2: Implementing the Recommendations Relevant to the Biological Weapons Convention", Kyiv, Ukraine, organised by NAS of Ukraine, supported by U.S. Department of State’s Biosecurity Engagement Program (through CRDF Global), STCU, WHO, MFAU, MHU, UBS, NAMSU

- the second international conference in Ukraine dedicated to the BWC, biosafety, biosecurity and other issues of concern;

- 190 participants: including 164 ones from 7 regions of Ukraine and 26 chairpersons and invited speaker from 10 countries across the globe, including Ukraine itself;

- 23-25 April: 2,5 days with 5 plenary sessions (Emergent and Re-emergent Infectious Diseases as Biothreats, Biosafety, Biosecurity and Biorisk Management, BWC, etc) with invited presentations and 2 panel discussions (High Containment Laboratories & Education of Life Scientists and Awareness Raising. Progress in Biology, Synthetic Biology and Possible Biothreats). Each session was followed by “Questions and Discussions” 30 minutes part to allow all participants to communicate with the speakers, to enter into discussion and to express their opinions on issues of concern;

Biosafety & Biosecurity Conference 2012

- one of key activities during the Conference;

- the first seminar in Ukraine specialised on education aspects ofbiosafety and biosecurity;

- organized by Palladin Institute of Biochemistry, NASU and Bradford University, UK;

- supported in the frames of STCU project 5327 “Biosecurity Education in Ukraine” by one of the STCU Funding Parties: DFAIT, Global Partnership Program, Canada;

- 40 participants: including 34 professionals from 8 cities of Ukraine and6 invited speakers and observers from France, UK and USA;

Satellite Seminar“Biosafety and Biosecurity Education in Ukraine”

Kyiv, Ukraine, April 26

There were presented:- summarised results of the Survey on Biosecurity Education in Ukraine (project 5327),

- the results of National Series Project of Bradford University.

Satellite Seminar

The first session “Ukrainian Experiences to date”:

- was open by a lead contribution on results of survey on biosafetyand biosecurity education in Ukraine (STCU project 5327),- followed by presenting of several examples of courses fromselected universities of Ukraine;- finalised by discussion to learn from the diversity of experiencethat participants brought to the conference.

Survey was supported in the frames of STCU project 5327 “Biosecurity Education in Ukraine” by one of the STCU Funding Parties: DFAIT, GPP, Canada

Survey

Survey sample: 10 high ranking universities with Faculties (Departments) specializing in Biological Sciences from Kyiv, western, eastern parts of Ukraine and ARC;

Methods: screening of university web pages and inquiry of lecturers

Population: 45,7 mln

Regions: Crimean AR and 24 oblasts

Educational sector: over 300 universities over 2 mln students

9 courses with Bioethics in modules Biosafety and Bioethics, Basics of Bioethics and Biosafety, Bioethics

and Biosafety of Modern Technologies, Bioethics, Ecological Ethics and Philosophy of Science.

2 courses with Biosecurity in modules Bioethics and Biosafety of Modern Technologies *, Viruses and

Biosafety;

8 courses with Biosafety in modules Bioethics and Biosafety of Modern Technologies, Viruses and Biosafety,

Biosafety and Bioethics **, Basics of Bioethics and Biosafety, Biosafety of Genetically Modified Organisms **, Applied Mycology, Mycological and Microbiological Toxicology, Microbiology

Survey. Main findings.

B U T !* The course was initiated or ** the biosecurity aspects were included after lecturers visited the first Biosafety conference hold in 2010

9 courses with Bioethics in modules - no modules or even references on neuroethics in available syllabus

were found, - syllabus included some general lectures on responsible science,

biomedical ethics, ethics of GMO use; seldom ethics of modern biotechnologies broader then GMO were touched,

- courses were taught mainly for master students of different specialization of Biological faculties at once.

2 courses with Biosecurity (Dual use Bioethics) in modules

- no references on neuroethics in available syllabus were found, - one course was specialized for students of Virology Department,

other one - for students of Biological Department.

8 courses with Biosafety in modules - no references on neuroethics in available syllabus were found, - these courses are partly the same as the ones above with bioethics

modules, one course was specialized on GMO, two courses were specialized on mycology, one on microbiology.

Survey. Main findings: Focus on neuroscience.

no Departments specialized on Neuroscience were found in sample universities,

Departments of human and animal physiology and departments of biophysics are the ones, from where the students might do research in neuroscience:

- no specialized course on neuroethics was found, - no references on Dual use Bioethics in the specialized courses

taught for the students of Departments of human and animal physiology and departments of biophysics were found,

- lecturer (Physiology Department) told that if from a group of 15 students only 3-5 could work in the future with nervous systems, there was no sense to develop such a course, - a lecturer (Biophysics Department) told that they taught students nothing harmful or dangerous, there was no reason to develop a course on dual use bioethics…

Survey. Main findings: Focus on neuroscience.

Other Departments of Biological Faculties

Specialized courses: - ‘Functional biochemistry” (Department of Biochemistry): in the topic

on Biochemistry of Nervous System, some references on Dual use Bioethics in concern to Neurosciences were given;

- ‘Pharmagenetics’ (Department of Genetics): each topic concerning nervous system included references to ethical questions.

Survey. Main findings: Focus on neuroscience.

1. Lecturers of departments of human and animal physiology and departments of biophysics are not fully aware about modern trends in biosecurity and dual use bioethics initiatives

2. There is no clear understanding of significance of dual use matters in concern to neuroscience research.

awareness raising, production of educational and informational materials, seminars and workshops

3. Neuroscience is a fast developing and growing broad interdisciplinary field, in which along with traditional - neuroanatomy, neurology and neurophysiology sciences, an important contribution to the study of the nervous system is made by molecular biology, genetics, chemistry, etc. (from web page of the St. Petersburg centre for interdisciplinary neuroscience)

two ways: to continue the strengthening of dual use bioethics education for students of Biological Sciences in general and to develop a specialized post-graduate course for neuroscientists to promote dual use bioethics through research groups, not only educational departments

Survey. Main conclusions: Focus on neuroscience.

Thank you!

Bradford, September 17-18, 2012