The 1st Ethics Crossroads Town Meeting

Feb 4th 2005 14:00~17:00
at KIT Tokyo Campus

Program

1. Opening Remarks
2. Participants' self-introduction
3. Lecture (main)
   "The Formation of Ethics Crossroads and the Construction of Science and Engineering Ethics" (by Jun Fudano)
4. Q & A and discussion
5. The study promotion system

Summery

On February 4, 2005, the 1st Ethics Crossroads Town Meeting (ECTM) meeting was held. The meeting was held in two meeting places, Tokyo (Kanazawa Institute of Technology, Toranomon, Tokyo campus) and Kanazawa (Kanazawa Institute of Technology, Nonoichi campus) relayed by a videoconference system.

The number of the participants was 19(13 in Tokyo Campus, 6 in Kanazawa Campus), including 2 secretaries. Participants were from the Applied Ethic Center for Engineering and Science Kanazawa Institute of Technology, from Hokkaido University, from Tokyo Electric Power Company, and from IntegreX Inc.

The Opening Remarks by Fudano, the Principal Investigator, were as follows: We are aiming at the formation of an Ethics Crossroads and the construction of science and engineering ethics (SEE) through this project. We seek your cooperation for the actualization of our dreams.

We will hold the ECTM 27 times in these 3 years. Each meeting will consist of two parts: a lecture and discussion in the first half and a report of the progress of the project in the latter half. In the first half today, Fudano introduced this project "The Formation of Ethics Crossroads and the Construction of Science and Engineering Ethics" followed by a discussion.

In the latter half, the future directions and potential participants of the project was discussed.

Participants

• Kanazawa Institute of Technology Tokyo campus meeting place
  • Jun Fudano (Professor and Director, Applied Ethics Center for Engineering and Science, Kanazawa Instituted of Technology)
  • Kyoko Ando (Researcher, Kanazawa Institute of Technology Applied Ethics Center for Engineering and Science)
  • Akiko Ishihara (Researcher, Kanazawa Institute of Technology Applied Ethics Center for Engineering and Science)
  • Miyoko Enomoto (Researcher, Kanazawa Institute of Technology Applied Ethics Center for Engineering and Science)
  • Fumihiko Tochinai (Lecturer Kanazawa Institute of Technology)
  • Hidekazu Kanemitsu(Lecturer, Kanazawa Institute of Technology)
  • Kojiro Honda (Graduate school student, Hokkaido University graduate school)
  • Koji Ishihara (Assistant professor, Hokkaido University )
  • Hiroshi Soraoka (A member of company ethics group , Tokyo Electric Power Company,)
  • Yoshimoto Ono (A manager of company ethics group , Tokyo Electric Power Company,)
  • One Akiyama(President, IntegreX Inc., a think tank of CSR mainly on ethics compliance)
• Kanazawa Institute of Technology Nonoichi campus meeting place
  • Tsutomu Hasegawa (Professor, Kanazawa Institute of Technology, Intro to engineering)
  • Hiroshi Matsubara (Professor, Kanazawa Institute of Technology)
  • Hideo Nishimura (Assistant Professor, Kanazawa Institute of Technology)
  • Koji Yamaguchi (Professor, Kanazawa Institute of Technology)
  • Nobuo Yoshida (Professor, Kanazawa Institute of Technology)
  • Prof. Nobumi Okamoto was absence for business today

Lecture

"The Formation of Ethics Crossroads and the Construction of Science and Engineering Ethics"

Jun Fudano (Principal Investigator)

Lecture contents

1. Abstract of the project
2. Why do we do this project now?
3. The study procedure (bases, project organizational chart, a promotion meeting, advisers)
4. What do we do?
5. A schedule
6. ECTM
7. Cooperating Organizations
8. Matters to discuss
9. Plan for this year
10. Concluding Remarks

Summery of Lecture

This project "The Formation of Ethics Crossroads and the Construction of Science and Engineering Ethics" is funded by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). This project will run for three years from Dec.2004 to Nov. 2007.

The base of this project is located in the Applied Ethic Center for Engineering and Science, Kanazawa Institute of Technology. We will form an Ethics Crossroads, where people from various social sectors, academic disciplines, organizations, and cultures can meet and discuss the values and moral issues having to do with science and engineering. People from various areas in the world such as Japan, Asia, North America, and Europe and so on, will be welcomed. Through the Ethics Crossroads activities, we will clarify values in science and engineering and construct practical models of ethics programs.

We will collect knowledge of engineering ethics and develop an ethics of technology education program including education practice.

In recent years, interest in SEE has increased, and an interest in the social responsibility of a company rises due to some well-known company scandals and accidents.

However, the methodology of SEE is not yet established. Scientists and Engineers tend to distrust that experts of engineering ethics do not contribute to science and engineering activities but merely criticize them. It is a mission of this program to obtain their trust and to develop a general research and education program of science & engineering ethics. In particular, our goal is establishing SEE that includes an Asian value system.

The base of the project is the Applied Ethic Center for Engineering and Science, Kanazawa Institute of Technology, with a number of advisers and collaborating researchers from other universities and companies.

We seek the cooperation of domestic and foreign experts from each field such as engineering ethics, company ethics, bioethics, environmental ethics, information ethics, medical ethics, and NPOs.

We will hold ETCM (Ethics Crossroads Town Meeting), international symposiums and workshops, develop educational programs and effect measurement methods, pilot the educational programs in KIT and companies, and improve them with feedback from the outcomes of those programs.

Lecture contents

1. Abstract of the project
1-1.Fund, period

This project "The Formation of Ethics Crossroads and Construction of Science & Engineering Ethics" is funded by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). This project will be completed in three years from Dec.2004 to Nov. 2007. The grant awarded is 59,000,000 yen for three years (excluding overhead).

1-2. The objective

The objective of this project is to form an Ethics Crossroads, where people from various social sectors, academic disciplines, organizations, and cultures can meet and discuss the values and moral issues having to do with science and engineering. People from various area in the world such as Japan, Asia, North America, Europe and others, will be welcomed. Through Ethics Crossroads activities, we will clarify values in science and engineering and construct practical models of ethics programs.

1-3. Content

The project consists of 2 parts: theoretical study, and practice of science and engineering ethics education.

[Theoretical study] We will consider a code of conduct for scientists and engineers for the 21st century by examining existing codes of ethics in various countries historically, sociologically, and philosophically. We will study the characteristic values that underlie engineering and science practice in Asia.

[Practice of SEE education] We will design, develop and implement an engineering ethics program based on the "ethics across the curriculum" model. We will develop means and tools for outcomes assessment for engineering ethics. We will develop ways of capacity-building for researchers, educators, administrators, and leaders in SEE. We will have a feedback cycle system for this study project: theoretical study, development of education / training program, practice of the program, evaluation, improvement.

2. Why do we do this project now?
2-1. A dream of science and technology for society

A mission of this project is realization of "Shakai gijyutu". "Shakai gijyutu", Science & Technology for Society in English, means science and technology that contributes to society. Research and development in science & technology is in itself a valuable activity, however, science & technology must contribute to social benefit.

In recent years, some corporate scandals and accidents have become public topics. Students of Kanazawa Institute of Technology will work in those companies as an engineer in the future, and may be concerned with and involved in such problems.

We want students to learn and acquire the ability to deal with those kinds of difficult situations. We aim at a clarification of "values" in science and engineering and share them with various stakeholders (esp. the public). This is the main subject of construction of SEE.

2-2. Rising Interest in SEE

Presently in society, interest to technology ethics is rising in consecutive flows, a so called ethics boom, and Institutional developments for SEE are taking place (global movements of engineering education reform, accreditation systems, licensing systems, government policies etc). This movement is global. In Japan, there are a movement of JABEE, revision of the certified engineer law, movement of academic societies, and the Science and Technology Basic Plan (in particular, engineering ethics are important subject in the second Science and Technology Basic Plan).

In addition, in late years, due to globalization of the economy and several company scandals, companies have begun to emphasize the social responsibility of a company (CSR), and it is included in ISO guidelines.

2-3. Roadblocks to constructing SEE

However, roadblocks to constructing SEE exist.

First, since SEE in itself is a new idea, there are a lot of misunderstandings and misconceptions about SEE. Because there has been little dialogue among scientists, engineers, and others until now, we cannot develop fruitful agreement by repetition of the same sorts of rudimentary debates such as "Is it too late to educate an ethic after entering a university and a company, or not? ", "how are ethics and morality different?" and "how are personal morality and social morality different?"

Additionally, in recent years SEE education is attracting attention, but I am concerned that SEE education will turn into a mere formality as "liberal education" did in Japan

There was the movement called "Science wars". Scientists and Engineers tend to suspect that SEE persons do not contribute to science and technology activities but merely criticize those activities

2-4. Therefore now, a comprehensive study of SEE

What will be necessary in the situation that social interest in SEE is rising, however integrated knowledge in this area has not been accumulated yet, and scientists and engineers have a degree of mistrust as mentioned above. I think we have to study and examine SEE theoretically and practically, and to accumulate knowledge and experience about it.

In order to do that, we need a general research/education center where SEE is studied systematically and comprehensively from both theoretical and practical aspects, however no centers presently exist despite the existence of research centers specialized to bioethics.

Today, no institution or program reflects Asian values in SEE and a global code of ethics. The main stream of SEE and its education have been American style ones, in which they aim to create professionals able to make decisions and be autonomous as an individual. Now, it is necessary to construct a concept and methodology of education of engineering ethics that reflect Japanese personality and Japanese culture. Nowadays the center of production shifts to Asia, and actually we have this project in Japan!! We must explore how to reflect Asian and Japanese value systems in technology ethics. This is the central mission of our project.

3. The study prospectus(bases, project organizational chart, a promotion meeting, advisers)
3-1. Bases of the project

We have two bases of the project as following.

1. Kanazawa Institute of Technology main (Nonoichi) campus:
   Most of research and educational activities
   Workshops for research associates
   
2. Kanazawa Institute of Technology Akasaka research institute, Toranomon campus
   ACES Tokyo satellite:
   Ethics Crossroads Town Meetings (ECTM)
   Information gathering on academic and professional societies and CSR

Applied Ethics Center for Engineering and Science, Kanazawa Institute of Technology

• Established on The April 1, 1997
• 14 members
• 13 Visiting Research Fellows from various countries
• Characteristics: industry-university cooperation, transdisciplinary, international, and agility

• Caroline A. Whitbeck (Director, The Online Ethics Center for Engineering and Science at CASE, Case Western Reserve University)
• Heinz Luegenbiehl (Professor, Rose-Hulman institute of technology, humanities social science department)
• Scott Clark (Professor , Rose-Hulman institute of technology, humanities department)
• Michael Davis (Professor, Illinois college of engineering)
• Larry J. Shuman(Associate Dean/ professor, University of Pittsburgh, School of engineering)
• Barbara M. Olds (Professor, Colorado School of Mines, National Science Foundation)
• Bertrand Heriard (Professor, Catholic University of Lille, Center for Engineering Ethics)
• Christelle Dideier (Assistant professor, Catholic University of Lille)
• Ibo van de Poel (Assistant professor, Delft University of Technology)
• Mitsuhiro Umezu (Lecturer, Keio University, the department of commercial science)
• Alistair Gunn (Associate professor, the University of Waikato(New Zealand), humanities department)
• Tae-Cheon Rho (Professor, Cungnam National University / Korean Institute of Industrial Educators)
• Ovid Tzeng (Vice President, Academia Sinica)

3-2. The Organizational chart

3-3. Promotion Committee

Promotion Committee is a committee for decision making in this project.

The members are as follows:

3-4. Advisers

1. Theoretical Side:Department of Ethics, Graduate School of Letters, Hokkaido University:Ethics, Bioethics, Medical Ethics, Applied Ethic, SEE
2. SRI/CSR related:IntegreX, Inc., Ethics survey data on publicly-held companies, SRI Network
3. Business Ethics Program:Tokyo Electric Power Company (Business Ethics Group) etc.
4. Codes of Ethics and Ethics Program:Major Engineering Societies in Japan

4. What do we do?

This project will through stages from phase1 to 3.

• Phase 1(Building an Infrastructure for the Project):Forming an Ethics Crossroads
• Phase 2-A(Theoretical Research):Global Code of Conduct for Scientists and Engineers
• Phase 2-B(Practical Research):Design, Development and Implementation of Ethics Programs (including an EAC-type program)
• Phase 2-C(Database): Constructing a living, growing, evolving database (Network of people)
• Phase 3 (Return of Research Outcomes to SEE Community): Developing human resources who can teach SEE to realize Science and technology for Society

We aim at the following result through each stage from phase1 to 3.

1. A place for communication: The formation of "Ethics Crossroads"
   Through "Ethics Crossroads", we will create and dispatch the new idea of a global code of science & engineering, and then Japan will take the international leadership about SEE in the world (particularly, from an Asian point of view; Asia as the third pole for America / EU).
2. Construction of an EAC education program and evaluation of the effectiveness of the program
   The program at Kanazawa Institute of Technology will be the largest trial of engineering ethics education in the world. We will construct an education program/model and evaluate its effectiveness. For evaluation, we will develop a computer system by which we can measure and evaluate students' ability to make decisions ethically.
3. A model of a company ethics program that emphasizes CSR
4. A model ethics program in higher education / a research organization (including effectiveness evaluation system)
5. Developing human resources
   We will train enough people in the SEE area who collectively may become a critical mass to make a systemic revolution in science and engineering education. 100 people who can carry out research and teach SEE utilizing the case method in order to realize S&T for society
   
6. A database, accumulation of information/ experience
   We will form a human network as a growing and evolving database and collect References in SEE/Educational Material database/Computer-based educational materials/Assessment and evaluation tools, and aim at "an intellectual server". Our activity will create a 21st century Renaissance by re-integration of human values and S&T.

5. A schedule

6. ECTM (Ethics Crossroad Town Meeting)
6-1. Basics

We will hold the ECTM 27times during the 3 years (third or fourth Friday of each month) in Tokyo Toranomon Campus, KIT, utilizing a videoconference system. Each ECTM meeting for three hours consists of 2 parts.

• Part I (Semi-open):Lectures by leading figures on topics appropriate for the formation of EC and Q&A
• Part II(Closed, project members, advisors, research associates only):Progress reports of sub-projects, and continuous study on GCESE

6-2. ECTM topics

Project-planning	4
Business ethics	7
Bioethics	3
Medical Ethics	3
Environmental Ethics	3
Information Ethics	3
Others	4

6-3. Participants of ECTM

(1)Engineering ethics related

• Participants in the engineering ethics workshops organized by the Japan Society for Engineering Education (about 300)
• Engineering Ethics Forum (10 major engineering societies)
• JSME
• JSCE
• AESJ
• JSEE
• Science Council of Japan
• Engineering Academy, Japan etc.

• Japan Society for Business ethics Study
• BERC: Business ethics Resource Center
• Companies with active Business ethics program (TEPCO)
• CSR/SRI leaders (IntegreX et al.)
• Others

• Japan Association for Bioethics
• Professor Ryouichi Ida, Kyoto University, and his group
• Professor Rihito Kimura, Waseda Univ. and his group (http://www.bioethics.jp/nfbios-j.html)
• Hokkaido University Group

• Professor Hisatake KATO, Tottori Univ. of Environment, etc

• University of Kyoto, and FINE project members
• Information Processing Society of Japan

• the forum of Science & Engineering Ethics by Mr. Sugimoto
• NPO Science Communication Japan
• The members of consensus conference activity, etc.

7. Cooperating Organizations

Organizations we should cooperate are as follows.

7-1. International organizations

• UNESCO COMEST
• WFEO
• APEC
• NAFTA
• EMF
• Etc.

• ABET
• NSPE
• NSF
• National Academies
• RHIT and other universities
• Etc.

• FEANI
• SEFI Ethics Working Group
• DUT and other institutions
• Etc.

• Taiwan
  • Institute of Engineering Education Taiwan
  • Academia Sinica
  • National Taiwan University
  • National Cheng Kung University
  • National Central University
  • Etc.
• South Korea
  • Korean Institute of Industrial Educators
  • ABEEK
  • Cungnam National University
  • Etc.
• Singapore
  • Singapore Polytechnic
  • National University of Singapore
• New Zealand
  • IPENZ
  • Unitec Institute of Technology
  • The University of Waikato
• Australia
  • IEAust
  • Melbourne University

8. Matters to discuss

• Plan for 3 years
• A plan from Nov 2004 to Mar 2005
• Guest speakers in ECTM
• Collaborate researchers in KIT(around 20)
• Collaborate researchers other than KIT(around 20)
• Visiting Researchers
• Advisory committee members
  • Ovid Tzeng, Vice-director Taiwan Research Center
  • Kiyoshi Kurokawa, Chairperson of the Science Council of Japan
  • Naomasa Nakajima, the The vice-president of the University of the air
  • Hisatake Kato, President of Tottori Environment University
  • Itaru Yasui, Vie-president United Nations University
  • Companies
  • A member of UNESCO COMEST

9. Plan for this year

• The 1st ECTM, on February 4
• The 1st International WS on March 3rd and 4th
• March 11 the second ECTM

• Michael Davis (Illinois Institute of Technology): Ethics across the curriculum
• Heinz C. Luegenbiehl (Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology):A Global Code of Engineering and Science Ethics
• Scott Clark (Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology):RosE-Portfolio
• Larry Schumann (University of Pittsburgh): The Assessment of one's abilities to judge ethical problems
• Tae-Cheon Rho, Professor, (Chungnam National University):A value system of Asian engineers.
• Ibo van der Poel (Delft University of Technology): Agora and the European situation
• Alastair Gunn (University of Waikato) Environmental ethics and the Oceanic situation

10. Concluding remarks

Now is the best time for us to construct science and engineering ethics. In order not to lose this great opportunity, please let us share our "dreams" with you. Our dream is to realize "Science and Technology for Society" and nature "Philosopher-Scientists/Engineers"

11. Contact

Summery: Question and answer / discussion

1. A collaborative study with Asian area

• About cooperation with Asian countries, we should cooperate with China including Hong Kong other than Korea and Taiwan as mentioned in Fudano's presentation.
• We should study the movement of China including Hong Kong, since in China they have a center of STS and an applied ethic research center in Beijing University, and Hong Kong is a member of the Washington Accord. (K.Ishihara)

2. A definition of "syakai-gijyutu, Science & technology for society"

• What is the definition of "syakai-gijyutu"? (Honda)
• I think that Science & Technology for Society in English is the best definition for "syakai-gijyutu". The definitions did not become clear even in the forum by JST that was the funding organization of the project. (Fudano)
• "Syakai-gijyutsu"is the knowledge that contributes to the society including humanities and social science knowledge.(A. Ishihara)

3. What is ethics of research?

• What is ethics of research? (Honda)
• In late years, it became a topic of interest when some scientist broke rules and ethics. The rules and ethics were ones that they had shared in old days. Due to scandals such as forgeries and plagiarism, interest in research ethics is rising. (Fudano)
• The Science Council of Japan released a statement that they have to construct ethics of research. (Fudano)
• I think in the ethics of research, the methodology is changing in recent years. In the past, the mainstream methodology was to control scientist not to break rules and ethics. But now, the mainstream is to support their goodwill.(Nishimura)
• We want to aim at constructing research ethics to encourage engineers. (Fudano)

4. About participation of companies and CSR

• We welcome the revised version of the organization chart, since in the revised version some companies other than Tokyo Electric Power Company are expected to join this project. It is hard for us to participate in this project as only one company (Tokyo Electric Power Company).
• Our company, IntegreX Inc, is a company that specializes in research & assessment of CSR. We are interested in and deal with SEE as it relates CSR. We are afraid how we can contribute to this project because we are not expert of SEE but CSR.(IntegreX Inc.)
• Many of Japanese companies are technology companies, and most of Japanese engineers are belonging to companies. So, CSR is a base of SEE. It is important that SEE is consistent with CSR, for Most of KIT students that we SEE will work in companies in the future. So, we need companies to cooperate us. (Fudano)

5. Eastern Ethics and Asian Ethics

• Education of old Japanese ethics such as "don't be selfish""work for other people" will be effective as engineering ethics education. (Matsubara)
• We should ask the experts of eastern philosophy to participate in our project in order to introduce eastern ethics into science and engineering ethics.(Honda)

6. Form of Outcomes of the Project

• In the engineering area, the outcome of a study project is a visible outcome. However, in this project in which we study ethics and education, is it OK that our outcome is not a "visible" as expected in usual engineering study? What form should our outcome be in? (Nishimura)
• The core of the expected outcome of this project is to make a platform for dialogue, teaching materials, records of discussion, models and materials.(Fudano)

7. Who are "the public"?

• Who are "the public" in your presentation? (A. Ishihara)
• I propose a public recruitment of citizen participants to ECTM meetings. (A. Ishihara)
• A public recruitment of citizen participants may be difficult, but I plan to ask people from NPO of science communication as a representative of the public/citizen instead of public recruitment. (Fudano)

8. About ethics education

• It is important to do ethic education not only at a university, but also at schools.(Matsubara)
• I propose that we ask experts of ethics education to give a lecture in ECTM.(A. Ishihara)
• We are planning to ask a professor of ethics education in schools in KIT to participate in our project.(Fudano)