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Bioethics for Outer Space
Mode of Delivery
Online Courses
Duration
10 hours (4 sessions x 2.5 hours)
Date / Time
- 11/07/2023 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm
- 13/07/2023 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm
- 18/07/2023 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm
- 20/07/2023 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm
SG 6-8:30pm NYC 6-8:30am UK 11am-1:30pm Sydney 8-10:30pm. The duration of the synchronous online sessions is 10 hours (4 sessions x 2.5 hours), and the duration for the asynchronous e-learning sessions is 8 hours in total.
Programme Highlights
This course introduces the learner to a range of bioethical issues that may arise when humans venture to the extreme environment of outer space for both short and long durations. A range of ethical frameworks will be utilized in addressing the impacts of spacefaring on physiological and psychological aspects of human well-being as well as concerns arising from the modification both of humans for space and of extraterrestrial environments for human habitation. The learner will be encouraged to reflect critically on the adequacy of the frameworks and to adopt a practical mindset in generating rationally defensible answers to novel questions.
Who Should Attend
Space industry operators (public and private), researchers (especially in health and life sciences), medical professionals (particularly those with an interest in space medicine), educators (particularly in bioethics, interdisciplinary studies, critical thinking and philosophy)
Trainer Profile
The course is led by Dr Victor Cole from the NUS Centre for Biomedical Ethics (CBmE).
Short Course Structure
The short course consists of four sessions. Participants are expected to attend all four sessions of this course.
.
Session 1
Venturing to space
11 July 2023 (6.00pm to 8.30pm)
Learning objective:
- Understand risk assessment and consent for spacefaring
- Apply risk assessment and consent to different spacefaring scenarios
- Reflect on limitations of risk assessment and consent in ethical decision making
Topics covered:
Physical and psychological fitness for space (crew selection, disability, prophylaxis, habitation experiments), astronauts as research participants
.
Session 2
Surviving in space
13 July 2023 (6.00pm to 8.30pm)
Learning objective:
- Understand the principlist decision-making framework
- Apply the principlist framework to different human health scenarios in space
- Reflect on the principlist framework and its potential adaptation to space use
Topics covered:
Physiological threats of the space environment, telemedicine, medical provisioning, emergency care and triage in space
.
Session 3
Adapting to space
18 July 2023 (6.00pm to 8.30pm)
Learning objective:
- Understand ethical differences between enhancement for terrestrial and extraterrestrial environments
- Apply ethical reasoning to enhancement for extraterrestrial environments
- Reflect on the challenges of evaluating enhancement for extraterrestrial environments
Topics covered:
Reproduction in space, enhancement for space (physiological, psychological, moral/cognitive)
.
Session 4
Settling in Space
20 July 2023 (6.00pm to 8.00pm)
Learning objective:
- Understand environmental approaches to bioethics
- Apply environmental bioethics to possible adaptations of the extraterrestrial environment for human habitation
- Reflect on the challenges of evaluating future possibilities through a bioethical lens
Topics covered:
Human-environment interactions, terraforming, extraterrestrial life
Awards and Certification
Learners must achieve satisfactory attendance of least 75% of the online sessions to be considered as having successfully completed this course.
CME/ CPE points for Singapore-registered doctors, nurses and pharmacists are pending for approval.
Course Fee
Registration fee is SGD 499 including GST.
Sponsorship
a. The NUS Centre for Biomedical Ethics is delighted to announce it will sponsor the fees for up to 5 participants in the upcoming Short Course on Bioethics for Outer Space.
b. Applications for sponsorship will be open from 1 March to 30 April 2023 for participants from:
i) low and middle income countries (persons with LMIC nationality or those based in an LMIC) as defined by the World Bank.
(Please refer here for a list of qualifying countries with a GNI per capita of $13,205 or less), and
ii) tertiary-level students (anywhere in the World).
c.The criteria we will use to determine who will be chosen for the sponsorship are:
i) Your reasons for wanting to participate in this course on Bioethics in Outer Space, and
ii) How your participation in this course will benefit you and/or others.
d. You may apply for sponsorship through this form.
e. We will notify you by email if your sponsorship application is successful by 5 June 2023.
f. If you have any queries about sponsorship, please email us at cet_cbme@nus.edu.sg
Application Deadline
Participants are strongly advised to apply at least 3 weeks in advance.
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