Activities conducted by researchers and engineers must be trusted by society to gain social recognition. In order for researchers and engineers to be trusted, they must not only comply with the relevant laws, but also have a proper understanding of what they should be as researchers and engineers, and act with consideration for the public and the environment in the future. In this lecture, students can learn about the ethics that they should acquire as researchers and engineers.
To acquire the ethical viewpoints necessary for researchers and engineers, as well as to understand how to solve ethical problems and to be able to think about actions that are acceptable to society.
✔ Applicable | How instructors' work experience benefits the course |
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For 16 years, the lecturer worked at a manufacturer of bulk pharmaceuticals and semiconductor-related electronic materials and chemicals, where the lecturer was involved in the mass production of research and development products. For 8 of those years, the lecturer held the position of plant manager, where the lecturer stood between researchers and engineers, resolving trade-offs in the organization. In 2019 the lecturer went independent as a consultant specializing in chemical plants, helping clients implement solutions to their problems, especially those related to people. Based on practical experience, the lecturer will explain the ethics of researchers and engineers. |
Researcher ethics, Engineer ethics Ethical values, Dual-use problem, Prevention of fraud, Autonomous management, Case study
✔ Specialist skills | ✔ Intercultural skills | ✔ Communication skills | Critical thinking skills | ✔ Practical and/or problem-solving skills |
Individual topics will be lectured.
Course schedule | Required learning | |
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Class 1 | Introduction / What are researcher ethics and engineer ethics? | To understand the need for professional ethics for researchers and engineers. |
Class 2 | Responsibilities of researchers and engineers | To understand what the responsibilities of researchers and engineers are, using the dual‐use issue as an example. |
Class 3 | Qualifications as researchers and engineers | To understand that honesty is of paramount importance for researchers and engineers, using recent cases of research misconduct and corporate scandals as examples. |
Class 4 | Researchers / engineers in the organization and Organizational responsibility | To understand the position of researchers and engineers within the organization and consider the responsibilities of the organization. To consider the actions that should be taken when a conflict of interest arises. |
Class 5 | How to solve ethical problems | To understand traditional ethical problem-solving methods, such as utilitarianism and decision doubt theory, and their application to solving ethical problems related to researchers and engineers. |
Class 6 | Group discussion | To understand the difference between individual and organizational problems through case studies and understand the basics of organizational management from fraud prevention to prevention. To understand the actions to be taken in a group setting. |
Class 7 | International trends in chemical management | To understand what you should be as researchers and engineers living in internationalization through occupational accidents in the workplace, autonomous management of chemical substances, and risk assessment. |
Class 8 | Exam / Questionnaire |
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Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Kagaku no kenzen na hatten no tameni, Maruzen Publishing, (2015)
M. Nakamura, Engineer ethics and risk management, Ohmsha, (2012)
Evaluating essays, examination, and contribution to the group discussion
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