Mission

Today, in the 21st century, we human beings and our scientific and technological civilization are confronted with a significant turning point. Not only natural environmental issues, e.g. energy resources, but also social environmental issues, e.g. politics, culture and economy, are bringing about drastic changes. And around us, these elements are transforming the old schemes. Facing toward this unprecedented turning point, our dependency on science and technology has increased more than ever before. When we look forward to sustainable development, it goes without saying that the role of the new social system of values supporting science and technology will be increasingly important.

In this time of revolution, the people who take the responsibility for science and technology “in harmony with humans and the environment”, while hoping for the welfare of whole human races and the protection of the global environment, must acquire not only their expected expertise but also the ability to consider seriously the meanings of true happiness, beyond mere satisfaction just for their own material comfort. And they must cultivate the broad faculties to analyze and penetrate the influence of their artifacts upon the local and global situations. Therefore they must obtain a well-balanced higher ethical sense to make proper self-directed decisions in value-complicated situations. And they also must be critically aware of their social responsibility as experts of science and technology.

Among Western people, who are involved in science and technology education, there is an awareness of the special role for scientists and engineers in high-tech society. For example ABET (The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology), which is the only public authorized organization to accredit the higher engineering education programs in the United States, declares the need for 1) cultivating a sensibility of the technical and social problems for which engineers are responsible, and 2) a profound understanding of the moral issues about engineering studies and their practices, together with an expert education, for engineering education.

In the science and engineering education of our country “as a nation based on the creativity of science and technology,” we have emphasized math, basic science and other applied subjects, although we have never emphasized subjects for the professional ethics expected of scientists and engineers. On the one hand, we teach ways to solve technical problems; on the other hand, we never give any opportunity to think about the questions of why we need science and technology, what are the social values of the science and technology outcomes compared with other values -for example quality of life, environmental sustainability and so on, or what kind of science and technology we will be needed. In these diverse situations, there is little opportunity to consider the morally responsible behavior of a scientist or engineer. Therefore, for science and engineering education, a fundamental reform of professional ethics program will be inevitable, when we expect scientists and engineers, who are leaders and are respected not only for their technical abilities but also for their moral abilities in the science and technology oriented international scene.

Based on that awareness, the Kanazawa Institute of Technology (KIT) has founded the Applied Ethics Center for Engineering and Science (ACES) as an organization to research the moral and legal issues of social responsibility for scientists and engineers and to apply the knowledge to the educational program. At KIT, the outcomes of the Center will be introduced directly into the educational programs. We are looking forward to the development of promising students who will play an active role in international fields with a higher ethical sense and awareness of the responsibility of scientists and engineers.