The German Reference Centre for Ethics in the Life Sciences (DRZE)

Innovations in Biology, Medicine and Technology fascinate us and inspire hope. At the same time, modern scientific developments raise fundamental ethical questions. The debates, for example, on the research involving human embryos, the responsible use of artificial intelligence or the just distribution of resources in the healthcare sector demonstrate – especially in light of the disparities between the Global North and the Global South – just how multifaceted and complex the search for answers on the ethical questions of our times is.

Further challenges arise from the long-term effects of human interference in nature, that manifest themselves in biodiversity loss and climate change. These can only be understood and resolved as socio-ecological problems.

The various new possibilities for action opened up by the natural sciences, medicine, and technology require a differentiated normative assessment. A culture of judgement formation, that corresponds to the complexity of these processes can only be cultivated on the basis of reliable, comprehensive and relevant information and through profound exchange between the academic disciplines and sectors of society.

The DRZE is dedicated to addressing these challenges – as a central academic institution of the University of Bonn and as a research institution of the North Rhine-Westphalia Academy for Sciences, Humanities and the Arts within the long-term project “fundamentals, norms and criteria for the ethical judgment formation in the life sciences” [“Grundlagen, Normen und Kriterien der ethischen Urteilsbildung in den Biowissenschaften“]. Since 1999 the DRZE combines bioethical documentation, research and education in a way that is unparalleled in Europe. 

The DRZE considers itself as:

• Research institution, that, through interdisciplinary collaboration between philosophy and especially law, medicine, biology and other natural and social sciences, scientifically addresses bioethical and research ethical issues and promotes public discourse.
• Documentation centre featuring the world’s largest database of specialized literature on bioethics (BELIT), the Bioethics Press Review, a trilingual bioethics thesaurus, and comprehensive information resources such as freely accessible Expert Reports and bioethics in focus.
• Communication bridge between science, politics, and civil society that supports public dialogue through events formats such as the “Ethik-Forum” and various publications.
• Education provider with teaching formats on bioethics and research ethics for students and researches of different career levels.

Following the initiative of the German Federal Government and in reaction of the cloning of the sheep Dolly in 1996, the DRZE was initially built through funds by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Since 2004, it is a central academic institution of the University of Excellence of Bonn and a research institution of the North Rhine-Westphalia Academy for Sciences, Humanities and the Arts. Embedded in the diverse academic environment of the University of Bonn, the DRZE has evolved towards a nationally and internationally acclaimed institution that connects early-stage ethical reflection with scientific excellence and thus contributes to a profound and balanced judgment formation in a world that is rapidly in flux.