CORRUPTION  OF  SCIENTIFIC  INTEGRITY?
 

ngin comment:  Interesting looking one-day conference in May - speakers include George Monbiot.  Costs seem very reasonable - see registration form below
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CORRUPTION OF SCIENTIFIC INTEGRITY? -
THE COMMERCIALISATION OF ACADEMIC SCIENCE

A one day conference organised under the auspices of the Council for Academic Autonomy and the Council for Academic Freedom and Academic Standards.

Wednesday 2nd May, 2001 - 10.15 a.m. to 4.45 p.m.
The British Academy,
10, Carlton House Terrace, London, SW1Y 5AH.

Universities in a democracy traditionally serve society as providers of research that is independent of market forces, and as a source of expertise that is independent of powerful vested interest. Recent governments have placed heavy emphasis on the "need" for science to serve the economy, and have introduced structures to ensure that "relevance to industry" is a major criterion in the funding of university research. Problems emerging from this increasingly close association of university science with industry call into question whether the ability of universities to fulfil their vital independent rôle is being compromised.

These issues are explored in this Conference.
Programme

Coffee available from 9.45 a.m.

10.15 a.m. Down what river is academic science being sold?
John Ziman, F.R.S.

11.15 a.m. Patients' health or company profits? The Toronto story (provisional title)
Nancy Olivieri

12.30 p.m. Lunch

1.45 p.m. Problems for Biomedical Research at the Academia/Industrial Interface
Sir David Weatherall, F.R.S.

2.45 p.m. The Guards of Perception - the corporate take-over of universities
George Monbiot

3.45 p.m. Tea

4.05 p.m. What can be done?
General discussion with the speakers forming a panel
Speakers

John Ziman, F.R.S.
Professor Emeritus of Physics, University of Bristol, founding Director of the Science Policy Support Group and past Chairman of the Council and Society; he has written extensively on various aspects of the social relations of science and technology

Nancy Olivieri
Professor of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, hospital for Sick Children. Dr. Olivieri was dismissed from her post after publishing negative results of a commercially-sponsored drug trial. An international outcry led to her reinstatement.

Sir David Weatherall, F.R.S.
Emeritus Regius Professor of Medicine and Director of the Institute of Molecular Medicine at the University of Oxford and member of the Dearing Committee. He has a reputation as somebody who has thought deeply about the place of medicine and doctors in society as a whole.

George Monbiot
Honorary Professor of Politics Keel University and Visiting Professor in Environmental Science, at the University of East London. He has recently published Captive State: the corporate takeover of Britain which includes an account of corporate influence on universities and the research councils.

Registration

Corruption of scientific integrity? - The commercialisation of academic science, 2.5.01

Please return a photocopy or the original of this form to
Dr. D.E. Packham, E.A.S., University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY.
Name (block capitals):
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E-mail address:
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Postal address:
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Institution:
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Cost: £15 including coffee and tea.
Student rate: £5 - applicants must enclose authentication from their supervisors.
Buffet lunch available £7.50
I enclose a cheque for £             made payable to "CAFAS"
Acknowledgements will be sent to those who request them and provide an e-mail address.