World Bioethics Day 2023 at MCI

On October 12, 2023, an event was held at MCI as part of World Bioethics Day, celebrated worldwide at over 260 locations across 6 continents. Titled "Protecting Future Generations - Ethics Across Generations," the event focused on ethical considerations in the context of climate change.

Climate and environmental jurist Florian Graber, who is pioneering legal approaches and pursuing several "climate lawsuits” together with lawyer Michaela Krömer, addressed the question, "How does the climate crisis find its way into the courtroom?". Professor Lukas Kenner, from the Institute of Experimental Pathology at the Medical University of Vienna and a member of the Bioethics Commission in the Federal Chancellery, provided insights into the mutual impacts of "Medicine & Climate."

Particularly noteworthy in the event's program was the active participation of students from various disciplines in a preceding workshop led by MCI Professor Antje Bierwisch. Scenarios for "probable and desirable futures" were developed during this workshop. Astrid Müller, a student in Nonprofit, Social & Health Care Management, shared her experience: "I found the interdisciplinary nature of the workshop enriching, as it provided an opportunity to learn about different perspectives from students in various fields on an important shared topic."

Medical student Jakob Thaler, representing the young generation, reported on the insights and experiences from the workshop after the informative presentations. In the ensuing panel discussion, he expressed, "Perhaps we need an 'action pandemic' now, where we all infect each other with rethinking our actions and changing them for the better."

Students of the Bachelor's program in Nonprofit, Social & Health Care Management participated in World Bioethics Day as part of their course "Ethics & Human Rights," which aims to address both local and global societal challenges. Catarina Holtmann, a student in Nonprofit, Social, and Health Management, welcomed this integration, stating, "Expanding traditional lectures with events like World Bioethics Day in Innsbruck is important to introduce young students to relevant global topics."

World Bioethics Day provided an exceptional opportunity to intertwine ethical considerations with the fight against climate change, highlighting how every generation can make a significant contribution to a more sustainable future.