Suchergebnisse

Partially as a consequence of the results of the Human Genome Project, reductionist and determinist positions in genetics have been generally replaced by a more systemic view. In this paper we examine some consequences of this paradigm shift upon biobanks and the way research is to take place through them. Biobanks are shown to challenge to a certain degree the traditional rules in genetic research. Although there are pressing issues concerning privacy and confidentiality, the most visible area of disagreement has to do with informed consent. There is a gap between theory and practice, as most documents and declarations at the global level insist on the need of genuine informed consent, but this requirement faces serious problems of implementation. Thus the demands of research are bringing about new "open consent" models, which are making their way into legislation, as in the new Spanish Law on Biomedical Research. ; Como una consecuencia parcial de los resultados del Programa Genoma Humano, el determinismo y el reduccionismo genéticos han sido abandonados en favor de una biología más sistémica. En este artículo examinamos algunas consecuencias de este cambio de paradigma en lo que se refiere a la ética de la investigación, centrándonos en la aparición de biobancos y en los problemas asociados a estas nuevas herramientas. Aunque también hay cuestiones de privacidad y confidencialidad, el mayor problema se encuentra con la ruptura del modelo tradicional de consentimiento informado. Se constata una gran divergencia entre teoría y práctica, pues el modelo de consentimiento exigido en buena parte de la normativa internacional se enfrenta a serias dificultades de implantación. Las necesidades de la investigación están dando lugar a nuevos modelos de "consentimiento abierto" que comienzan a infiltrarse en la legislación, como en la nueva Ley de Investigación Biomédica española.

There are currently a number of preconceived ideas about the university and its possible fates within our socially latent future. Some of these assumptions can restrict our capacity to imagine much of the actual potential scenarios at present. Following the Integral Futures perspective, here we stress the relevance of its interior cultural development as a key factor when thinking about the futures of and for the university. Instead of defining specific foresight strategies, however, this paper suggests how some current university extension activities can facilitate a productive cultural basis to enhance their forethought capabilities. It specifically addresses the potential of cultivating Communities of Practice (CoPs), through which institutions are able to connect with wide-ranging cultural domains, from both the inner and outer worlds, and making organizational culture more prone to unbiased imagination. Such features are illustrated with recent action-research conducted at the University of the Basque Country, which will finally provide some guidance on how to seed future-oriented cultures in corresponding universities.