ELSA-symposium: "Animal welfare and stem cell use"

Haus der Universität Düsseldorf, Copyright: HHU, Foto von: Sigurd Steinprinz

Following a successful inaugural event on more fundamental questions of stem cell research in 2022, this symposium is the first follow-up event with a narrower thematic focus. The aim of this series of events is to enable young researchers from the fields of philosophy, social sciences and law (ELSA) to engage in an interdisciplinary exchange and to provide impetus for further research projects in the field of stem cell research and related aspects.

The event on 12.03.2024 is dedicated to the topic of animal welfare. In particular, the symposium will discuss:

• Fundamental questions of animal ethics such as the status issue, considerations of speciesism in the context of research, as well as whether and how a trade-off between human and animal welfare/benefit could be justified
• More specific philosophical questions such as the status of organoids generated from stem cells, (following on from this) the classification and understanding of pain or the question of how to deal with laboratory animals
• Questions regarding the legal classification and evaluation of the permissibility of animal experiments or the regulation of alternative procedures
• Fundamental socio-scientific questions on the topic through to the discussion of specific studies or theses on the social evaluation of animal experiments
• International perspectives and comparisons of ethical, social and legal aspects

Those interested in the event can register via the homepage. The program and further information will be published in due course via the Stem Cell Network NRW mailing list and on the website.