National conference to focus on ethical issues

National conference to focus on ethical issues

Medical, business and professional, and environmental ethics will be discussed at a major national conference at The University of Queensland next month.

The conference will also cover issues including religious and secular foundations for ethical decision making.

Conference convenor Dr William Grey of UQ's Philosophy Department said the seventh National Conference of the Australian Association of Professional and Applied Ethics (AAPAE) would be held at St John's College at the University from July 7 to 9.

'The conference will cover a diversity of ethical themes with keynote speakers from Australia and overseas,' he said.

They include Professor Brenda Almond, Professor of Moral and Social Philosophy at the University of Hull and Professor John Langan, SJ, Professor of Ethics at the Kennedy Institute of Ethics at Georgetown University.

Professor Almond's keynote address will cover Biomedical Technology in a Humanistic Culture. Professor Langan will discuss the topical issue of ethics in international affairs.

Andrew Brennan, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Western Australia, will deliver another keynote address in which he proposes a simple heuristic approach to conflict resolution in professional ethics.

Dr Grey said a major conference theme concerned public sector ethics. Noel Preston, Adjunct Professor at the Griffith University Key Centre for Ethics, Law, Justice and Governance, will discuss codifying ethical conduct for Australian parliaments. Don Saunders, Commissioner for Public Sector Standards of Western Australia, will talk about monitoring public sector standards.

For conference information please contact Howard Munro, email:h.munro@mailbox.uq.edu.au. Information about the program should be directed to Dr Grey, email: wgrey@mailbox.uq.edu.au.

Media: Dr William Grey, telephone 07 3365 2099 or Jan King at UQ Communications 0413 601 248 or email us at: communications@mailbox.uq.edu.au