The rapid advancement of digital transformation in the healthcare system is profoundly impacting medical, therapeutic, and nursing practices. New digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence for diagnostic and therapeutic support, health apps for promoting well-being, and assistance systems or social robotics in caregiving, hold enormous, yet not fully tapped, potential.

However, future developments in this area are difficult to predict. The use of such technologies presents both ethical opportunities and risks for users, existing relationships, and, indirectly, entire societies. During the phases of development, research, implementation, and usage, people make decisions about which technologies are developed and how they are utilized. This significantly influences how these technologies can affect individual lives and societal interactions.

The field of medical ethics is tasked with better understanding these challenges, reflecting on the opportunities and risks, and managing them within a well-founded framework of action. As part of the DiMEN University Challenge, the Digital Medical Ethics Network calls on students from the health sciences and technical sciences to engage with ethical questions in innovative and creative ways through practical examples.

DiMEN University Challenge

DiMEN University Challenge

Creative Solutions for ethical Problems – Wintersemester 2024

Overview

• Project Duration: 2023 – 2025
• Carried out at: University of Tübingen
• Administrative contact: Florian Funer

This project addresses

Students from Health Sciences, Medicine and Engineering

Cooperation Partners and staff members

For the University of Tübingen:

• Dr. Florian Funer, M.A.
• Prof. Dr. Hans-Jörg Ehni
• Prof. Dr. Dr. Urban Wiesing

For the University of Potsdam:

• Prof. Dr. Robert Ranisch
• Dr. Joschka Haltaufderheide

In cooperation with:

EKIPA consulting

What is a University Challenge?

In a University Challenge, case studies provided by industry and research partners are collaboratively developed with the DiMEN team beforehand. Teams of students from various disciplines and/or in mixed compositions work on these case studies, tasked with creating creative and innovative solutions for potential problem areas. A distinguished jury awards the best ideas and proposals among the submissions. The aim of a University Challenge is to engage playfully with a problem area and develop new, unexpected, innovative, or creative solutions.

The public phase of the Challenge begins with the winter semester of 2024. Before this public phase, multipliers at German universities will be recruited to locally support the dissemination of the Challenge. The registered student teams will be supported during their work through joint workshops. The winners will be awarded in the spring of 2025. The Challenge is conducted by a professional service provider with years of experience in organizing University Challenges.

Practice Partners and Case Studies

The DiMEN University Challenge is based on the analysis of case studies, which are developed in collaboration with practice partners. The adoption of a case study by a practice partner is publicly recognized through appropriate branding. These case studies often have a real-world context, reflecting actual opportunities, problems, and developments or aligning with the specific interests of a practice partner. Adopting a case study allows practice partners to express their awareness of ethical issues and their interest in innovative and constructive solutions.