American University of Sovereign Nations is honored to have signed a MOU with Chulalongkorn University. AUSN together holds 2-3 International conferences every year with the Center for Ethics of Science and Technology, and these can be seen under Past Conferences and in the monthly news sections.  This is a very active collaboration, thanks to Professor Soraj Hongaldarom, the Director.     

        

The Center for Ethics of Science and Technology is a research unit at Faculty of Arts at Chulalongkorn University. It is a virtual interdisciplinary center where faculty collaborate, not only within Chulalongkorn University, but with other universities and research institutes worldwide. The Center’s Director, Soraj Hongladarom, Ph.D., is our AUSN School of Medicine Visiting Professor of Ethics of Science and Technology and Philosophy, in the Division of Biomedical Sciences.

Because almost all the changes that are taking place in the world we live in today are due to advances in science, technology and biotechnology, The Center for Ethics of Science and Technology plays an important role for the intelligent and meaningful exploration and discussion of pertinent issues which relate to such advances and affect our everyday lives – accordingly, the AUSN School of Medicine is quire proud to be affiliated with such a prestigious Center.

The Center heavily investigates and explores the digital divide between those who enjoy the benefits brought about by the technology, and those who are left behind; how the privacy of citizens are going to be protected when every corner of reality has become an item in the manipulable and calculable “information reality.” img7Similarly, the Center explores pertinent and relevant areas of biotechnology. Examples include that the success of cloning mammals on the one hand may be a first step in research on new ways of treating hitherto intractable diseases as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease through culturing of stem cells. But on the other hand, it is well known that the possibility of getting fertilized cells of potential human beings and manipulate them to serve the needs of patients is ethically problematic.

In order to contribute to the attempts to find solutions to these type of thought-provoking and difficult problems, the Center for Ethics of Science and Technology was established at Chulalongkorn University. The objectives of the Center include: to conduct research on various aspects of ethics of science and technology, most notably those related to information technology and biotechnology, as well as the relation between science and society; to act as a focal point on the attempts to understand how science and technology interact with society and culture; and to disseminate knowledge and perform outreaching programs to be general public.

 Chulalongkorn University is the oldest university under the Thai modern educational system, founded in 1917 and named after King Chulalongkorn (Rama V). It is well-recognized as one of the best universities in Thailand and Southeast Asia; it consists of approximately nineteen Faculties and Institutes. The Diplomas of Chulalongkorn University are delivered at graduation by Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of the Royal Family.