We must be able to trust each other

Like most universities around the world, TU Delft has a Code of Ethics, a set of guidelines on moral behaviour for all its staff and students with respect to rights, responsibilities and intellectual aspirations. “It’s about the pursuit of truth not being undermined or corrupted”, said Jeroen van den Hoven, Professor of Ethics and Technology at TU Delft. “So at the coffee machine, you want people to talk enthusiastically about their work and share ideas – and not think ‘Oh, I won’t mention that book to him because it’ll help him.’ We must be able to trust each other because the moral quality of an academic community is very important.”

A code of ethics revolves around core values such as respect, scientific integrity, and transparency, guiding researchers through the minefield of problems to do with plagiarism, dishonest reporting of results and conflicts of interest. “Situations can arise which are not clear-cut”, said Van den Hoven, “especially in our modern society. Scientists can be faced with dilemmas regarding research financed by commercial funding, for example, or whether or not to accept additional positions. And students, too, may be faced with situations in which they need to decide where the interests of the university end and their own begin.” That’s why TU Delft introduces the concepts of scientific integrity and responsible innovation to students as early as possible.

Ten years ago, the Dutch Research Council (NWO) set up a programme on Ethics, chaired by Van den Hoven, which focuses on 21st-century technology and applied science. One goal of this programme is to ensure that researchers and engineers take moral considerations into account early in the design process. “We want to shape technology by getting people to think about ethical values as a requirement for design. So build an infrastructure or coffee-maker that is responsible, does not waste energy, is safe, sustainable, etc. There are many examples such as electronic patient records, or smart metres, which do a wonderful job in terms of functionality or sustainability, but do not respect privacy; that’s not what you want. For instance, we had a bus explode near The Hague that was optimised for sustainability – very light with liquid gas – but it exploded; they forgot about safety. So sorry, you have to do all these things, they all matter and what you want to design or make is something that accommodates all your values and that’s responsible innovation.”