“Scientific Fraud: How it is done, why it is done, what can be done about it?”
(11 rue D′Egmontstraat, 1000 Brussels)
Registration
Participation is free of charge but registration is required by 23 November 2012.
If you wish to attend, please click here to download registration form and return it as soon as possible, either by e-mail to FU.US@universityfoundation.be or to University Foundation, 11 rue d′Egmontstraat, 1000 Brussels, Belgium, Fax: +32 2 513 64 11.
Theme
There are few issues more important to universities than scientific fraud and its prevention. Integrity and truthfulness are the cornerstones of academic research. If universities are unable to guarantee honest, objective and accurate research, they lose their reason to exist. We would then be deprived of institutions in which research results are free of any commercial, political, religious or ideological manipulation. If integrity is so crucial to universities, why are researchers sometimes compelled to manipulate their data or plagiarize the work of their colleagues? What do we know about the scale of academic fraud in modern universities? Is it true that academic institutions are eager to combat plagiarism among their students but reluctant to do the same among their staff? Why do some academics feel compelled to cheat? Is achievement pressure detrimental? Do we need to lower academic achievement standards or can we mitigate potentially fraudulent tendencies by introducing more codes of conduct and regulations? Perhaps what we need most of all is a thorough change of mentality within our research communities?
Programme
Registration: 13.30
Part 1: 14.00 – 15.45
- Welcome address by Prof. Jacques Willems, Chairman of the University Foundation
- Introduction to the subject by Prof. Bart Pattyn, Coordinator of the Ethical Forum
- Short keynote addresses:
- Daniele Fanelli, University of Edinburgh: “How Many Scientists Fabricate and Falsify Research?”
- Michelle Bergadaà, Genova University : “The Inertia of the Academic System towards Plagiarism”
- Pieter Drenth, Hon. President ALLEA (All European Academies): “Scientific Integrity and Social Responsibility: The Role of Academies of Sciences”
Interpellations from the floor
Coffee break: 15.45-16.15
Part 2: 16.15 – 18.00
- Panel discussion:
- Ad Lagendijk (Institute for Atomic and Molecular Physics AMOLF, Amsterdam)
- Elisabeth Monard (Secretary General FWO)
- Véronique Halloin (Secretary General FNRS)
- Other panel members to be confirmed
General discussion concluded by Philippe Van Parijs, coordinator of the Ethical Forum
Reception: 18.00
Written interpellations from the floor are invited. They are to be submitted by 15 November. If you would like to make a short statement (no more than 3 minutes) to which the final panel will have to comment on, please send a short written formulation of it (about 10 lines) to Bart Pattyn . The organizing committee will select the interpellations to be included in the conference folder and presented verbally.