| Chair | Linda Nierling |
| Day and time | Thursday, March 14th, 2013; 16:30 – 18:00 |
Aditya Bharadwaj (University of Edinburgh), Linda Nierling (Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis), Joy Zhang (University of Kent), and Ole Döring (Institute of Asian Affairs)
This session was dedicated to the book “Cosmopolitanization of Science” by Dr. Joy Zhang. This book was chosen as is felt to be an important contribution from the field of technology assessment to the topics of technology governance and global bioethics. Based on site visits to 22 key research teams in China, as well as interviews with ethicists and Ministry of Health officials, this book investigates how, over the last decade, Chinese stakeholders have developed a cosmopolitan sensibility in comprehending and responding to ethical and regulatory concerns with influence from both within and without their national boundaries. It elucidates the structural and administrative particularities stem cell scientists are confronted with and charts the transformation of Chinese science from an image of the ‘Wild East’ to a responsible player in the international stem cell community. This book demonstrates the feasibility, and implications, of a less advantaged country in influencing global research trends and provides a powerful corrective to existing cosmopolitan frameworks which are established mainly on Western data sources. It contributes both to the empirical social study of science and to current theoretical debates on cosmopolitanization.
Based on the book, two critics (Aditya Bharadwaj, Ole Döring) discussed and provided further viewpoints on the issue with regard to empirical research, bioethics, cosmopolitisation and changes in technology governance.
Presentations of the session:
- Dr. Joy Zhang, School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research Cornwallis North East, University of Kent, UK
- Dr. Ole Döring, Horst-Görtz-Institute for Theory, History and Ethics of Chinese Life Sciences (HGI), Berlin, Germany
- Prof. Dr. Aditya Bharadwaj, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva, Switzerland
- Dr. Joy Zhang, followed by a discussion with critic
