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In the early 1990's, across Eastern Europe and what used to be the Soviet Union, far-reaching political and economic changes were in progress. Single party rule had given way to political pluralism, and efforts were initiated to move from an economy dominated by central planning and state ownership to one in which market forces and private property predominate. The democratic and economic transition in Eastern Europe has far-reaching implications for science and for scientists, who have gained greater professional autonomy and new possibilities to participate in policymaking and to develop standards of conduct. In the aftermath of Communism, scientists and engineers will need to develop mechanisms of professional self regulation that will foster a commitment to high standards of research and professional ethics, consider ways to participate in the policymaking process in a manner that transcends professional self-interest, and find ways to inform the public about the technical aspects of policy issues and to address public concerns regarding the social and ethical implications of advances in science and technology. Scientific and technical societies have a major role to play in this process. In the interest of investigating the role of scientific and technical societies following the political and economic changes in Eastern Europe, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) convened a NATO Advanced Research Workshop in Visegrad, Hungary on October 28-31, 1994, on the topic, Developing an Infrastructure for Science and Technology in Eastern Europe: The Role of Professional Societies. The workshop produced a series of recommendations to assist professional scientific and technical societies in making the transition from an existence under single party rule and central planning to a participatory and self-regulatory role in a democratic domain. "The Role of Scientific & Engineering Societies in Eastern Europe," was published as the cover article in the Summer 1997 issue of the Professional Ethics Report (Volume X, No. 3). The report details the recommendations produced by the participants at the October 1994 NATO Advanced Research Workshop in three sections: 1) Science, Technology and the Political Process; 2) Communicating Science to the Public; and 3) Science, Engineering, and Self-Regulation. The Directorate for Science and Policy Programs hosts the program that co-organized the workshop. The Scientific Freedom, Responsibility and Law Program is responsible for the Association's activities related to ethics and law. The workshop was co-organized by Dr. Mark S. Frankel and Jane Cave at the AAAS. The workshop was supported by the NATO Scientific and Environmental Affairs Division, the National Science Foundation, the Stefan Batory Foundation in Poland, and the Open Society Fund in Bulgaria. |
The
Scientific Freedom, Responsibility and Law Program
is a division of the Directorate for Science and Policy Programs 1200
New York Ave., NW
Tel:
(202) 326-6600 Committees Committee on Scientific Freedom and Responsibility National Conference of Lawyers and Scientists
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