HEIRRI's last Paper: Teaching Responsible Research and Innovation: A Phronetic Perspective

HEIRRI's last paper has been published in the academic journal Science and Engineering Ethics. Niels Mejlgaard of the Danish Centre for Studies in Research and Research Policy, Department of Political Science, Aarhus University is the paper first author.

Abstract: Across the European research area and beyond, efforts are being mobilized to align research and innovation processes and products with societal values and needs, and to create mechanisms for inclusive priority setting and knowledge production. A central concern is how to foster a culture of “Responsible Research and Innovation” (RRI) among scientists and engineers. This paper focuses on RRI teaching at higher education institutions. On the basis of interviews and reviews of academic and policy documents, it highlights the generic aspects of teaching aimed at invoking a sense of care and societal obligation, and provides a set of exemplary cases of RRI-related teaching. It argues that the Aristotelian concept of phronesis can capture core properties of the objectives of RRI-related teaching activities.