Establishing the Center for Environmental and Technology Ethics - Prague

The ethical challenges posed by emerging technologies and climate change have been critically examined by ethicists in newly founded research centres all around the developed world. Yet, there is no comparable research program in the Czech Republic, and only a few relevant research initiatives in the entire CEE region. The ERA Chair position held by Prof. Mark Coeckelbergh, one of the most prolific and innovative authors in philosophy of technology and environment, will help to remedy this situation by establishing an internationally excellent research center for environmental and technology ethics at the Institute of Philosophy (IP), the largest humanities institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences. The center will contribute to advancing state-of-the-art knowledge in environmental and technology ethics, in particular by focusing on issues that are globally under-researched, and/or imperative in the CEE region. At the same time the project will enable the IP to implement a set of organisational measures and structural changes, in particular in the areas of HR, international grant support, research management and institutional culture. With massive support from the IP management, planned and realised in cooperation with the ERA Chair holder, these changes will improve the international visibility of the IP, helping it to both succeed in competing for EU research funds and better integrate the IP into the European research landscape. By deploying smart means of approaching diverse target groups, this project aims to overcome the existing barriers between the general public, concerned stakeholders and the IP’s research community, as well as facilitate the flow of expert ethical opinions in the wider societal debate. In its long-term impact, this project shall contribute to further increase in public visibility of SSH research and its relevance for tackling urgent societal and political issues.