Physics colloquium-“Navigating the Emerging Landscapes of Responsible Research in the Global Context”

Qin Zhu

Mines, Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences Department

Abstract: Perspectives on responsible research in STEM fields in the United States have been based almost exclusively on micro-level, individualistic, and US-centric biomedical frameworks. This talk will expand dominant approaches to research ethics education in science and engineering by incorporating some missing dimensions: (1) the global and cross-cultural context of research; (2) the political context of research; (3) self-knowledge of researchers; and (4) research that involves the development/deployment of socially disruptive technologies (e.g., gene editing, AI and surveillance, and robotics). Attention to these dimensions is critical for navigating the emerging landscapes of responsible research in the global context.

Biography: Dr. Qin Zhu is Assistant Professor of Engineering Education & Ethics in the Department of Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences at the Colorado School of Mines. Dr. Zhu is also an affiliate faculty member in the Department of Engineering, Design & Society and the Robotics Graduate Program. Currently Dr. Zhu is serving as Editor for International Perspectives at the Online Ethics Center for Engineering and Science, Associate Editor for Engineering Studies, Chair of American Society for Engineering Education’s Division of Engineering Ethics, and Executive Committee Member of the International Society for Ethics Across the Curriculum. His research interests include the cultural foundations of engineering (ethics) education, global engineering education, and ethics and policy of computing technologies and robotics.

Lecture held in CoorsTek 140/150.