May 22, 2011

Strengthening the Culture of Responsibility with Respect to Dual Use Research and Biosecurity

Bilateral video-teleconference (VTC) entitled Strengthening the Culture of Responsibility with Respect to Dual Use Research and Biosecurity, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the Chinese Academy Science and in cooperation with the InterAcademy Panel: The Global Network of Science Academies, the International Union of Microbiology Society, the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and the National Academies of Science. This event was a satellite session of the "Trends in Science and Technology Relevant to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention" in Beijing, China.

The aim of the VTC was to raise awareness of the dual use issue among workshop participants, to engage participants in a discussion on fostering a culture of responsibility, and to inform the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB), a group of non-government experts that advises the USG on dual use research and other biosecurity issues, on the views of these international scientists and policy experts from over 30 countries. The VTC linked participants at the workshop site in Beijing with key NIH/NSABB experts in Bethesda, MD. Issues discussed included the principal features or attributes of a culture of responsibility and strategies for promoting, creating, and sustaining a culture of responsibility.