On Thursday, April 4, 2024, renowned experts from various disciplines gathered in the atrium of the main building of Leibniz University Hannover, Welfengarten 1, to discuss medical, legal and ethical challenges. Under the topic "From self-tracking to organ donation - freedom of choice: opportunity or imposition?", they addressed the complex challenges and opportunities presented by modern medical research and practice. The event marked the start of the university's program of events as part of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research's Year of Science "Freedom".
Holger Blume, Vice President for Research and Transfer at Leibniz Universität Hannover, opened the evening, followed by introductory words from Hilde Weeg, a respected journalist from Hannover. The panel discussion, consisting of leading personalities from various disciplines, promised an exciting exchange on the interface of ethics, law, medicine and data science.
Prominent participants included Dr. Petra Bahr, member of the German Ethics Council and regional bishop for the Hanover district of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hanover, and Prof. Dr. Sören Auer, renowned Professor of Data Science and Digital Libraries at Leibniz Universität Hannover and Director of the TIB - Leibniz Information Centre for Science and Technology and University Library. Also represented on the panel were Prof. Dr. Susanne Beck, Professor of Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure Law, Comparative Criminal Law and Philosophy of Law at Leibniz Universität Hannover and Prof. Dr. Axel Haverich, former Director of the Clinic for Cardiac, Thoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery and Head of the Transplant Center at Hannover Medical School. Prof. Dr. Nils Hoppe, Professor at the Centre for Ethics and Law in the Life Sciences (CELLS) and holder of the Chair of Ethics and Law in the Life Sciences at Leibniz Universität Hannover, completed the high-calibre panel.
One can find the audio recording in full length under this link (in german).
Here you can find out more about other events in the Science Year "Freedom" (in german).