Centre for Bioethics and Nanoethics is an interdisciplinary research centre engaged in research and dissemination of knowledge about bioethical issues. 

The basic staffing and the projects of the centre are funded by external research grants and by Arts in cooperation with Health and Science and Technology at Aarhus University. 

The centre management and secretariat are located at School of Culture and Society.

What is bioethics?

Bioethics is a field of research that has emerged as a result of recent historical and contemporary developments in medicine, biology and biotechnology. These developments have given rise to a number of ethical questions: When does human life begin? When does it end? May we put an end to human life? What should the knowledge about genes be used for? etc. 

Bioethics can be defined as the contemplation of ethical questions relating to research in and application of biotechnology. In this way it touches upon other research areas such as medical ethics, nano-ethics, animal ethics and environmental ethics.

Centre subject area

• Research on and dissemination of knowledge about the foundations of bioethics and biotechnology
• Human Ethics 
• Nano-Ethics 
• Medical Technology Assessment 
• Evaluation of specific biotechnological issues 
• Environmental Ethics 
• Animal Ethics

Centre activities

In collaboration with partners from other academic backgrounds, the Centre for Bioethics and Nanoethics is engaged in the following activities:

• Implementing research projects in bioethics 
• Teaching on programmes of different durations and at different levels
• Communicating the trends in fields of research that give rise to ethical debate (e.g. genetics), literature on ethics and international law 
• Diagnosing bioethical issues for companies, authorities etc.