Ethics, Professionalism & Integrity for Sciences, Technology & Engineering (EPISTE)

Please note: This course is only for EngD trainees, not PhD candidates.

This course equips EngD candidates working at the intersection of academia and industry with essential professional and ethical competencies. Trainees will explore the moral, legal, and societal responsibilities of engineers, drawing on real-world case studies and professional codes of conduct (e.g., FEANI, KIVI, KNAW). The discussed topics include responsibility, accountability & liability, value-sensitive design, dual-use technologies, whistleblowing, and issues surrounding confidentiality in science and industry.

Through a blend of self-study and peer discussions, participants develop the ability to recognize professional dilemmas, such as conflicts-of-interests, (un)critical loyalty, patenting vs. publishing, and to formulate reasoned responses. Special focus is given to ethical reflection supported by tools such as the ethical cycle, technology & risk assessment frameworks and the precautionary principle.

With a workload of 2 ECTS (32 hours in total), the course includes an online self-study, optional reading, and a small-group onsite tutorial. Designed for an international cohort meeting the entry requirements for Autonomous Systems and/or Sustainable Project Design, it prepares trainees for responsible innovation in both academic and industrial contexts.

1. Online self-study and reading (mandatory)

Before attending the onsite tutorial, you are asked to complete an online self-study course called ‘Ethics, Technology and Engineering’. Completing the self-study takes approximately 20 hours.

• Log into the Coursera website and choose to enrol with the option of obtaining a certificate (42e). You can get the certificate reimbursed by contacting your EngD programme coordinator via email.
• Once you've completed the online self-study, send the certificate via email to Konstanze Gier (k.gier@rug.nl) 1 week before the tutorial the latest.
• Read ‘Bad Blood – Secrets & Lies in  Silicon Valley Startup’ – a book about Theranos by John Carreyrou (copies available in Bernoulliborg room 553).

2. Onsite tutorial (mandatory)

After completing the online self-study, you can attend the onsite tutorial. The tutorial is organised on demand. To indicate your availabilities, please fill in this Google Form.

You should bring headphones and a laptop to the tutorial.

3. Other study materials (optional)

• ‘Ethics, Technology and Engineering – an Introduction’ by Royakkers & Van de Poel

Learning goals

After successfully completing the course, you will...

• understand professional, legal and moral responsibilities of the ethical engineer as formulated in relevant codes of conduct 
• be able to critically analyze and evaluate the role of engineers in some historical case studies. For instance i.r.t. risks in the design and implementation of technology 
• be able to recognize potential professional dilemmas (loyalty conflicts; patenting-versus-publishing; whistleblowing) and apply knowledge from the course to formulate a substantiated course of action

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