Final Conference of the ETHNA System
Over two days on the 14th and 15th of June, ETHNA System partners and those interested in Responsible Research and Innovation came together in Castelló de la Plana, Spain, for the Final Conference of the ETHNA System implementation process.
Participants were warmly welcomed to the conference and seat of Universitat Jaume I (UJI) by Elsa González Esteban, ETHNA System Project Coordinator and the Vice Rector of Research at UJI, Margarita Vergara. The first day looked back in time to closely evaluate the ETHNA System and its implementation over the course of the three-year project. Implementing partners shared honest and valuable experiences in applying the ETHNA system in four different contexts. Project partners further shared practical guidelines and advice on what to expect in the ethical implementation processes. While the project leaves a wealth of results behind, UJI Associated Professor Ramón A. Feenstra noted, “we are reaching the end of the ETHNA System project, but not the end of the implementation.”
Day two started off with a bang with presentations from leading RRI experts looking into the future of challenges in the field of RRI. The self-proclaimed “open knowledge militant” Eva Méndez from the Carlos III University in Madrid, Spain, kicked things off with a review of Open Access issues, while Ana Marušić, University of Split School of Medicine in Split, Croatia, dove into research integrity and Santiago García Campá from UJI covered gender equality.
The European Commission, represented by Isidoros Karatzas, Head of Sector for Ethics and Research Integrity, then highlighted recent policies for the promotion of responsible research.
The conference finished up with a discussion on the importance of good practice codes as a tool to boost research integrity by Alberto Pastor Campos, Miguel Hernández University (UMH), Elx, Spain and Krista Varantola, ALLEA Board Member, Council of Finnish Academies, Finland.
“We have a responsibility to continue with the objectives that we have striven for in the consortium, and to continue to disseminate the results,” concluded Elsa González-Esteban.
