Beyond the Egypt Educational Institutes on Responsible Science
Scientific integrity is a guarantee to trust scientific findings for building solid knowledge. An effort focused on teaching responsible science was initiated by the US National Academy of Sciences (US NAS) in the MENA region with two main components: raising awareness on ethical conduct of research and science, i.e., research with dual-use potential, authorship, pressures on researchers, and relationship with their mentors; and . using active learning as a teaching methodology. .
A number of Egyptian academicians and scientists, attended the US NAS regional Educational Institutes on Responsible Science over the last 4 years. These individuals became the leaders in a concerted effort in Egypt to teach about responsible science using active learning. Pedagogical techniques. To date two Educational Institutes have been organized in Egypt in which 50 researchers from different scientific backgrounds representing 17 Universities and Institution took part.
While the hope is that this project will help build a network of Egyptian academics and researchers who will be able to not only implement Responsible Conduct of Research in their institutions, laboratories and classrooms, but also teach about it while demonstrating the merits of active learning, the question of how these topics may be incorporated within the academic curricula in the country remains open. This presentation will discuss this challenge while also highlighting the inroads made in bringing responsible science to the Egyptian research community.