Internationales Zentrum für Ethik in den Wissenschaften (IZEW), Universität Tübingen

The IZEW is an interdisciplinary research centre for ethical questions arising in and from the sciences. The IZEW pursues the programme of ‘Ethics in the Sciences and Humanities’, which addresses the issue of responsibility in the sciences and humanities themselves. The ethics in the sciences and humanities developed at the IZEW has proven successful in the practice of research, teaching and public communication and is particularly well suited to promoting dialogue between the natural sciences, humanities and social sciences with regard to ethical issues.

For more than 25 years, the IZEW at the University of Tübingen has been working successfully on a wide range of ethical issues. It pays particular attention to the collaboration of researchers across disciplinary boundaries and the promotion of young researchers in the field of ethics in the sciences.

Research into the ethics of science at the IZEW covers, for example, society, culture and technological change, nature and sustainable development, the use of modern security technologies and fundamental questions of ethics in the sciences. Other key areas include the transfer of ethical research findings to the education sector and the coordination of research networks.

The IZEW is a hallmark of the University of Tübingen with a high national and international profile. The IZEW produces a large number of publications on ethical issues in science, including more than 70 dissertations and post-doctoral theses. The IZEW is also home to one of the largest science ethics libraries in Europe.