BIOTECHNOLOGY AND ITS IMPACT ON SOCIETY

From October 8 to 10, 2009, more than 90 journalists from over 20 countries met in Heidelberg, Germany, for the 4th Alumni Conference of the International Journalists’ Programmes (IJP). During the three-day-conference, participants were able to meet and socialize with alumni of all IJP programms and discuss one of the core issues in the 21st century: Biotechnology and its Impact on Society.

In plenary sessions and moderated panel discussions, renowned experts from business, politics, media and academia, such as Nobel laureate Prof. Dr. Werner Arber, provided insights into a wide range of topics:

• recent advances in medical biotechnology (cancer, stem cell research and AIDS/HIV)
• impact of globalization and the global financial crises on scientific research and development
• ethical impacts of health research