Academies push for responsible military R&D

Training on the safety and ethical aspects of chemical and biological research that could be used for military purposes is severely lacking in developing countries, a global science network has said.

According to the Global Network of Science Academies (IAP), there is evidence that only 50 per cent of students in Pakistan receive education on the implications and ethics of dual-use research. And a survey of a small group of sub-Saharan Africa researchers indicated that such training is almost entirely absent, IAP said in a statement on 7 November.

As a result, the IAP has launched a programme of training sessions in conjunction with the Netherlands-based Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. The first workshop took place in October in Pretoria, South Africa.