I am thankful to have had the chance to attend the summer school in Bangkok organized by the Global Bioethics Initiative (GBI), in collaboration with the Department of Bioethics & Engagement, Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), University of Oxford. I was also the beneficiary of a partial scholarship. In my opinion, one of the strengths of this program was the engaging and thought-provoking series of talks by the distinguished speakers. These sessions were not didactic lectures but rather were designed in such a way as to promote critical thinking and discussion in relation to ethical theories and problems. In addition to that, I also very much appreciated the chance to hear from my fellow participants. With such a diverse group of participants, discussions on views and perspectives across various ethical issues illustrated were very lively and open. Being new to bioethics and not very bold in speaking out during the first few days, I also particularly appreciated that everyone was so encouraging and supportive throughout the course. It goes without saying that I also had a good time at the other activities, such as the film screenings and the field trips. Minn L Dee, MD, Medical Officer, Member of Medical Research and Ethics Committee (MREC), National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health, Malaysia
The summer school organized by Global Bioethics Initiative in collaboration with MORU (Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit) held in Bangkok, Thailand was an astounding experience of facts, fun and friendship. I became familiar with the field of global bioethics which was previously alien to me. I had the opportunity to learn about a series of interesting topics and lectures from some great minds of our era. As a physician, I always felt the need to improve the ethical practices in the field. The lectures about ethical practices of taking informed consent, ethical solutions to human genome modification, adoption policy, research ethics, the use of social media to amplify the good side of research, and issues in recruitment in clinical trials got me thinking about the modern side of science. I got to learn the up-to-date scientific discoveries and I met some new faces from different cultures of the world. I made some friends and we became a family. They welcomed me with their warm amiable attitude. We shared our cultures and views, engaged in various interesting discussions and film screenings, tried different exotic foods, took part in river cruise in Chao Phraya and field trips to Wat Arun Temple and MORU. Most importantly we had fun. I came here from Bangladesh with a dream of learning something and being a part of something new and challenging. I left Bangkok with a bag full of experience, memories and new close friends. Thank you GBI for offering me a partial scholarship to make my participation possible! I felt fortunate to be a part of it which will remain ever-fresh in my memory. After all, I can say like Bryan Adams said in his song ‘Summer of 69’: “Summer of 2019, those were the best days of my life!” Abir Shaqran Mahmood, MPh, Lecturer in Department of Anatomy in Samorita Hospital & Medical College, Tejgaon, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Nicholas PJ Day, MA, BM BCh, DM, FRCP, FMedSci, FRCP, Professor of Tropical Medicine, University of Oxford, Director of Mahidol Oxford Medicine Research Unit, Bangkok, Thailand
The past week I had an opportunity to participate in the International Bioethics Summer School in Bangkok, Thailand, organized by Global Bioethics Initiative and MORU Tropical Health Network at Oxford University, on a partial scholarship. The lectures and seminars covered the most current topics (e.g. research ethics, community engagement and informed consent, ethical issues in genetic modification, egg donation, Big Data and social media, access to hepatitis B medication and global elimination of malaria). Among all these fascinating topics, I particularly enjoyed the talk about universal health coverage by Prof. Calvin Ho, that discussed the accountability for reasonableness approach and Rawlsian theory of justice. During these 5 days we’ve had not only explored important bioethical issues, we were challenged with a number of problematic ethical cases, and we did a lot of intensive group work. At this summer school I’ve met exceptional people from the whole world and got valuable contacts. A carefully prepared educational program was spiced up with sociocultural activities and field trips, such as visiting Wat Arun Temple, the Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit and Dinner cruise. I was really enjoying this outstanding event and I’m looking forward to contributing to other conferences and schools organized by the Global Bioethics Initiative and MORU in future. Olga Chivilgina, PhD Candidate, IBMB, University of Basel, Switzerland
The 2019 International Bioethics Summer School in Bangkok was an inspiring experience in many ways. The lecturers were acclaimed scientists from all over the world, the program was remarkably organized, and last but not least the Thai food was exceptional. Relevant and ethical movies, seminars, as well as breathtaking field trips, were all part of this unique program. The diversity of the topics as well as the various educational backgrounds of the participants made the program hard to forget. In fact, we had the chance to attend classes ranging from research ethics, data ethics, universal health care, governance of the human genome, and global elimination of the malaria virus. I highly recommend this program to anyone interested in global bioethics and public policy. Paul Deshusses, MA, Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Bangkok, Thailand
The experience during the summer school in Bangkok was very valuable. It broadened my horizons but also gave me the opportunity to learn from the experts in the field of global bioethics and research. As a person who has been engaging with and providing care to the vulnerable populations in communities along the Thailand-Myanmar border, I found all of the lectures very useful, knowledgeable and relevant, particularly, the lecture on morality, informed consent and data sharing as it made me revisit the purpose of being and becoming an ethical researcher, health care practitioner/provider. I also found it very constructive when it came to discussion session as there was no right or wrong, instead, the discussions led to an exchange information and knowledge as well as alternative ways of approaching our work. I will definitely recommend the bioethics summer school to anyone who is a young researcher, a health care practitioner/provider or a person interested in research ethics because it was a great opportunity to learn from and discuss with the experts as well as the experienced participants from different regions fo the world. Special thanks to Khun Rita for arranging the program. Suphak Nosten, B.Ed, Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Bangkok, Thailand
Phaik Yeong Cheah, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Oxford University, Head of the Department of Bioethics and Engagement, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Bangkok, Thailand
I was invited by a friend and colleague who knew my interest in the ethics surrounding African elderly and the perception that they are a vulnerable population. The caliber of presenters was quite impressive. Crucial topics relating to global bioethics were covered. Dr. Jan Piasecki gave us a philosophical introduction differentiating research and practice of global bioethics and this was the basis of the entire program. Dr. Calvin Ho so eloquently discussed issues around a more holistic approach to rationalizing universal health coverage. The diversity of topics discussed made the program very interesting and engaging. The field trips and the dinner cruise were wonderful opportunities to befriend our colleagues. I felt like we were a family around one big table. I feel more empowered on issues around data ethics, as Dr. Phaik Yeong presented a thought provoking lecture. This summer program was worth my time, well prepared and very organized. Congratulations to Ana Lita, Phaik Yeong, and all the organizers! Sebi Lekalakala-Mokgle, Dean and Professor: School of Health Care Sciences, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa
Teaching bioethics is not an easy task; teaching international students bioethics is even more demanding: people in different countries tend to have different perspective and experiences. The most important thing, from a teacher’s point of view, is to connect with students, to know, who they are and what is their motivation and interests. This is possible only when an educational event is organized in a way facilitating contact between students and teachers. International Bioethics Summer School: Global Bioethics, Human Rights. & Public Policy in Bangkok 2019 did just that; it created a social space that enable teachers and students to know each other and then to focus on the subject matter. Jan Piasecki, PhD, Department of Philosophy and Bioethics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
I am a lawyer and I have been working in the field of bioethics for almost a year now. The summer school has given me a deeper understanding of global bioethics, human rights, and public policy. I was deeply impressed by the broad knowledge of the lecturers who presented during the program. Participants from various countries enriched our seminar discussions. I’m really glad I signed up for the summer school program in Bangkok. It has been a fantastic experience that I can highly recommend! Camilla Östergren, LLM, Lawyer and Legal Project Manager, Centre for Research Ethics & Bioethics, Department of Public Health and Caring Services, Uppsala University and Biobank Sweden, Sweden
As a junior researcher working in the field of bioethics, I think the summer school was very informative and helpful giving me a chance to look at my research topic from a different perspective. Many interesting topics related to bioethics were presented by notable lecturers around the world. I really liked the seminars and fields of study which broadened my knowledge and opened my mind to new ideas. The program was very well organized. The movie “Three identical Strangers” introduced the ethical issues in clinical psychological trials. The school also gave its participants many chances to network and make friends through its side activities such as dinners and trips to explore Thai culture. I highly recommend the school to anyone working in the field of global bioethics or beyond. Yen Nguyen Thi Hong, MS, Social Science Research Assistant, Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU), Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Field Trip To Mahidol Oxford Tropical Research Unit
As a social science researcher who did not have any medical/pharmaceutical background, global bioethics appears as an interesting yet challenging field of study. I am extremely thankful for being a part of the summer school organized by Global Bioethics Initiative and MORU this year as it has enabled me better understand the basic concepts of ethics in healthcare and research practices. The program has inspired and encouraged me to venture deeper and further into the field, which will eventually allow me to build a more effective and sustainable ethical framework that I can apply and adapt into my own social science studies. The summer school only lasted 7 days but successfully managed to deliver an enormous amount of knowledge thanks to its exciting and engaging lectures, in which participants were given the opportunities to voice their own thoughts about various significant issues currently debated around the world. We have developed a critical mind that sharpened our decision-making skills in global bioethical dilemmas we encounter in everyday life through our research practices. My Nguyen Le Thao, MS, Social Science Research Assistant, Oxford University of Clinical Trials Unit (OUCRU), Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Calvin Ho, J.S.D., M.Sc., Assistant Professor at the Centre for Biomedical Ethics at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
Nicholas PJ Day, MA, BM BCh, DM, FRCP, FMedSci, FRCP, Professor of Tropical Medicine, University of Oxford, Director of Mahidol Oxford Medicine Research Unit, Bangkok, Thailand
