Freedom and Responsibility in Science - AUCKLAND

Science today faces many challenges:

• Scientific and academic freedoms are declining worldwide as anti-science ideology becomes imbedded in many of the world’s governments.
• State obligations towards enabling science as a human right remain chronically ignored.
• Irresponsible scientific conduct and governance of all kinds increasingly undermine science from within.
• The tally of wars and crises which rob the world of the scientific talent held by entire nations is growing year by year.

At precisely the moment when scientific progress on some of the existential threats to humanity is most urgent, science itself is under more pressure than perhaps ever before. So, what can we do?

Join the Royal Society Te Apārangi for a wide-ranging panel discussion about the many threats to the integrity of science around the world, how they can be addressed, and New Zealand’s place in the global context.

Senior journalist Simon Wilson will be joined in conversation with expert guest speakers from the International Science Council’s (ISC) Committee for Freedom and Responsibility in Science:

• Roberta D’Alessandro is Chair of Linguistics, Utrecht University, Netherlands with an interest in EU policy and patterns of declining academic freedom.
• Robert French is the former Chief Justice of Australia and former Chancellor of the University of Western Australia. 
• Matthias Kaiser is Professor Emeritus Center for the Study of the Sciences and Humanities, University of Bergen, Norway and an expert in science ethics.
• Krushil Watene, Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Auckland, weaves together the relationship between science and Indigenous knowledge systems, particularly mātauranga Māori.

About the ISC Committee for Freedom and Responsibility in Science:

The Committee monitors trends related to scientific and academic freedom globally, advises the ISC on official statements and positions, and advocates for the Principles of Freedom and Responsibility in Science. The Committee also engages in major projects at the intersection of science, human rights, and philosophy, such as the ISC’s recent interpretation of The Right to Participate in and Benefit from Science.

Event details:
Auckland Art Gallery (Auditorium), Wellesley Street East, Auckland Central
5:40pm - Doors open
6:00pm - Panel discussion
7:15pm - Networking with drinks and canapés till 8:15pm