Centre for Human Bioethics

The Centre’s annual Intensive Bioethics Course is in its 28th year in 2012 and this year, will be held near Alexandra, not far north of Victoria’s Yarra Valley. Several hundred Australian and international health professionals have taken part in our course. Many Research Ethics Committees delegate some of their members to this sought-after event, and members of clinical ethics committees, as well as health professionals from many fields have also attended.

The course outlines general ethical frameworks, along with specific ethical principles underpinned by those frameworks, in the context of current developments in biotechnology, clinical practice, and the ethical oversight of research on humans.

(Some) Participants and speakers at the conclusion of the 2007 IBC in Marysville, Vic.

Transport: Transport between Melbourne and Alexandra by coach will be arranged for those who require it. A separate transport fee will apply.

Enquiries: Should you have queries about course content, tuition etc., please contact Michael Selgelid (emailMichael.Selgelid@monash.edu ). With queries regarding applications, transport etc., please contact Melva Renshaw (email Melva.Renshaw@monash.edu).

Participants who complete the Intensive Bioethics Course may be able to receive credit for one of the two units involved in the Graduate Certificate in Research Ethics taught at Monash University, if they also complete a further short piece of written assessment to the required standard. For information about receiving credit towards the completion of the Graduate Certificate in Research Ethics on the basis of having completed the IBC, please see our page on the Graduate Certificate in Research Ethics.

Participants’ comments on the Course in previous years

Comments on Lectures:

• “Fantastic lectures, clear, engaging & diverse.” (2011)
• “… especially appreciated nitty gritty of ethics in practice …” (2011)
• “Theory was presented at an appropriate level and I really liked the way the theory was the starting point & then applied examples used.” (2010)
• “Excellent – particularly like the interactive nature of most of them – it shows a great respect for the collective knowledge & experience in the room …” (2010)
• “Well balanced mixture – all presenters very good in content, scope of presentations – followup discussions well facilitated.” (2009)
• “All the lectures were excellent. The continuous interaction during the presentations made them much more interesting – the time just seemed to disappear.” (2009)
• “Very professional and at the same time approachable.” (2008)
• “Very good philosophy lectures. Excellent lectures on clinical ethics committees & HRECs. Excellent lecture on Maria Korp case.” (2008)
• “Enjoyed the informal, relaxed environment of lectures & speakers. Excellent link to prior readings.” (2008)
• “Over all exceptional. Sue Hawes & Lisa Bridle brought a reality to ethics. Lisa and Toni brought a very practical and emotional component which is sometimes sadly neglected.” (2007)
• “The sequence of lectures was excellent, each built on the last. Highest quality of subjects and presentation material.” (2007)
• “Not one ‘dud’ amongst them all; not dry or boring at all; all well presented.” (2007)
• “Very knowledgeable speakers. Good mix of teaching styles and very approachable.” (2006)
• “They were well presented, clear, methodical & thought provoking.”(2006)
• “An excellent balance – providing philosophical bases / frameworks & interesting topics / applications.” (2006)
• “Terrific. Interactive. Stimulating.” (2006)
• “Particular thanks for good straightforward presentations on ethical theory.” (2005)
• “The presenters were uniformly excellent; sticking to the time frames, not digressing, and well in command of their material.” (2005)
• “All excellent, with a satisfactory balance of formal presentations, interjection & discussion.” (2005)

Participants and some speakers in session at the Intensive Bioethics Course 2007.

General Comments:

• “I really appreciated the opportunities for discussion and the exchange of ideas generated by information from people who are really experts in their fields.” (2011)
• [Most valuable aspects were] … “drawing on real life examples for real life application.” (2011)
• “Very enjoyable, great presenters, and very personable facilitators.” (2010)
• “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time …. I have met some really wonderful people with not only professional experience but who have shared their personal experiences.  I would highly recommend the course.” (2010)
• “Having a very pertinent set of readings for each session … really helped me get more out of each session.” (2010)
• [Most valuable aspects were] … “plenty of discussions and differing points of view.” (2009)
• “The structure was good. I found the theory most valuable having not had any exposure to philosophy in the past in any formal setting.” (2009)
• “The ‘structure’ of the Course was a perfect balance of theory, examples, time-off, not early starts. It encouraged networking & thoughtful discussion …” (2008)
• [Most valuable aspects were] ” … ethical decision making and relationship to different ethical frameworks/systems; Friday sessions & practical discussions re clinical and research ethical committees.” (2008)
• “Thank you for the opportunity. This has been one of the most valuable educational experiences I’ve ever had the opportunity to do.” (2008)
• “I thought the course’s ability to raise difficult issues and to solve them to be most valuable, as well as the group process and the diversity of the participants.”
• “A great week … It is the best 5 days that I have spent at a conference.”
• [Most valuable aspects were] … “all … allowing half an hour for discussion at the end of each session provided very interesting information / questioning / comment from … individual expertise, of the participants and their varied backgrounds.” (2007)
• [The discussions were] … highly thought provoking and challenging. [They] bring a practical aspect to the theory.” (2007)
• [Most valuable aspects were] … “hearing lectures from people with practical experience and then being able to tease out the issues from a philosophical perspective with Justin & Rob.” (2007)
• “A wide range of disciplines/backgrounds of participants adds to the ‘richness’ of the discussion. Relaxed atmosphere/informal [is] difficult to achieve/maintain – appear[ed] effortless – quite a skill in itself! This encourages less confident/vocal participants to engage in discussions.” (2007)
• “Excellent course, very good range of participants, both geographically and vocational. All presenters were excellent. Special thanks to Justin and Rob!” (2007)
• “A truly professional course. Well constructed, sequence excellent, subject matter ideal and very inspiring speakers.” (2007)
• [Most valuable aspects were] … “issues for HRECs & clinical ethics, exploitation in clinical trials & general networking / informal discussions.” (2006)
• “Thank you for this invaluable experience. As a lawyer it was invaluable to observe and listen to this remarkable group of people.” (2006)
• “Congratulations on such a superb course!” (2006)
• “The dinner table / train / walk … times were wonderful.” (2005)
• “Great to get out of the city.” (2005)