Notre Dame set to host two student bioethics conferences
By HILARY BURNS
News Writer
Notre Dame has the opportunity to place itself on the bioethical map this weekend by hosting two international events — the third National Undergraduate Bioethics Conference and the inaugural meeting of the International Student Bioethics Initiative.
"I hope this weekend is a unique opportunity for students from within ND and visitors to interact and discuss contemporary bioethical issues that will be affecting our futures," said Heather Kuhlenschmidt. Kuhlenschmidt, a Notre Dame junior, is executive co-chair of the conference along with fellow classmate Mike Mann.
There are approximately 200 people registered to participate in the conference. Their home countries range from Ghana and Australia, to the United Kingdom and Canada, according to Mann.
"We open up our campus to [all participants] as a place for open and respectful dialogue where ideas from different cultures, disciplines, nationalities and religions are encouraged," said Mann.
The objectives of the conference are to consider the purpose of bioethics and its role in the world; to give more cohesion to a topic which is often fragmented into individual issues; to emphasize the importance of increased interdisciplinary dialogue and to raise a sense of social responsibility within students towards these issues.
"I [also] hope this weekend will create awareness about discrimination issues and the need for equal representation, which are bioethics issues that do not normally fall under the traditional definition of bioethics," said Mann
The coordinators of this year's conference were among the 300 or so students from around the world who attended the second annual conference last year at the University of Virginia.
Last year's experience was twofold in purpose for Kuhlenschmidt.
"[It gave] me the opportunity to discuss the contemporary issues with students who have a broad range of educational and religious affiliations, [but it] was also a bonding experience for many of the people involved in the planning of this year's conference," said Kuhlenschmidt.
The Second National Undergraduate Bioethics Conference was also where Mike Mann and Anne Cooper of Notre Dame, Jayme Dowdall from Boston University and Adrian Viens from the University of Toronto met and became motivated to found ISBI.
"At the conference, it was exciting to see the enthusiasm of the students in attendance," said Cooper. "It seemed a shame to go back to our campuses and lose the enthusiasm until the next conference.
"So, we began to think of a way to maintain the momentum and came up with plans to form this organization," she added.
ISBI's intent is to be an international student organization that is unaffiliated with individual colleges and universities. It will serve to connect students across the globe in order to encourage education, communication, activism and leadership in the field of bioethics.
Further information about ISBI will be revealed at its inaugural meeting following the conference's closing banquet, said Mann.
The ISBI meeting is independent of the conference, but it is being held at Notre Dame this weekend because it was an opportunity where students interested in bioethics would already be together, said Kuhlenschmidt.
Many students, including the founders of ISBI, will be participating in both events.
"I expect to participate in a great dialogue of future leaders. Undergraduates have a lot to contribute to bioethical discourse," said Viens. "As the future physicians, lawyers, bioethicists and public policy makers of the first half of the 21st century, initiatives such as the Annual Undergraduate Bioethics Conference and ISBI are great opportunities for these individuals to sharpen their interest and expand their knowledge."
This year's conference is divided into four half-day sessions — the nature of bioethics, the human genome project, care for the dying and international bioethics.
Each of these sessions will include keynote presentations followed by breakout discussion groups where participants will choose from a variety of topics.
The Notre Dame faculty members giving keynote addresses are Father Theodore Hesburgh, University President Father Edward Malloy and John Robinson, associate professor of Law.
Other keynote speakers include professors from across the United States, Dr. Solomon Benatar from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, and Dr. C. Thomas Caskey from Merck Laboratories.
Sources from within the University are providing the funding for the conference, according to Kuhlenschmidt.
All News Stories for Thursday, March 1, 2001
