Ethics and Higher Education

GÖRAN BEXELL, F. VICE-CHANCELLOR LUND UNIVERSITY

Two main questions of this conference

• How can universities become more decisive partners in the issues on the global agenda?

• How can we take a more active role in shaping humanity´s common future?

• Rethink and apply academic values!

The heart of universities: academic values

No academic values - no universities

Academic freedom and responsibility

academic integrity

academic quality

academic collegiality

Academic values: yes!

Threats against academic values

Conservatism and instrumentalism

Defense of privileges

Change of organization

Internal misuse of power

External demands

Human values and academic values

Mutual support

Global and shared values

Academic values and ethical guidelines

Ethics: values, norms and virtues

The purpose of guidelines: to support values

bild etik.htm

The new IAU-document

• Valuable document

• Guidelines more than values

• Future goal: one document including values

• Implementation; Ethical Advisory Committee

• Rules of sanctions

• Ethical knowledge and sensibility

Two documents: IAU and Lund University

• Ethical Issues at LU:

• LU is part of a worldwide value system

• Researcher ethics and research ethics

• Model for discussion of ethical issues

• Collection of examples from LU

• IAU: Ethical guidelines for actions

• Find your own way!

Higher education and ethics

A twofold purpose of ethics for Higher Education:

Defense against misconduct (a negative task)

Challenge to build universities with ethical commitment (a positive task)

Why ethics?

Guidelines: defense against misconduct

• Discrimination

• Cheating

• Corruption

• Bribes

• Increase accountability, assessments, support within IAU

• Cf reports by Stephen Heynemann, Jami Salmi

Ethics as a challenge: the teacher as a role model

Incorporates academic values

in education and research

in daily life

One way to influence tomorrow´s global leaders!

Ethics as a challenge: the student as an academic citizen

Foster the student to understand, integrate and implement academic values

An academic citizen

A future global leader

Ethics as a challenge: the societal responsibility of a university

• Universities are not value-neutral in society

• Represent human and academic values

• Rethink how to influence society!

• Responsibility towards society

• Protect free speech and publishing, non-discrimination, analysis and alternatives, relevant education and research, participate in public debate

Ethics as a challenge: the global responsibility of a university

Global issues: MDG, post 2015 UN goals

Students: global citizens

Academic values against other values taking over the global leadership

A global unity of shared values and academic diversity

Global future

Ethics as a challenge:the university as a role model institution

• High confidence of the public is necessary for universities

• Intellectual and ethical independence from economic, political and religious powers

• No identification with antidemocratic systems, mere capitalism, narrow-minded utility, globalism

• High ethical standard

• An enormous impact on society

Thank You!

My latest book (in Swedish): Akademiska värden visar vägen, Stockholm 2011

(not yet translated: Academic values show the way)

End!