Conferences as a Tool for Interdisciplinary (Postgraduate) Learning in Bioethics

Abstract

In recent years, alongside the general advancement of bioethics in a range of professions, bioethics conferences, both at a national and international level, have developed and become increasingly popular. One challenge for those learning bioethics is often to engage with disciplines outside their own, for instance by exploring new methodological approaches or theoretical frameworks. The interdisciplinary nature of bioethics motivates the development of different forms of interdisciplinary learning. In this paper, the authors discuss the role of bioethics conferences that, it is argued, serve as an important tool for interdisciplinary learning and interaction in bioethics. Special reference is given to the Postgraduate Bioethics Conference, which the authors convened in 2014 and have since overseen, to demonstrate how such a conference can assist learning in bioethics.