CBEC review: Impressions and insights

The Centre of Biomedical Ethics and Culture turned ten in October 2014. We celebrated our first decade the way we know best – by creating more work for ourselves! As reported in the previous edition of the Bioethics Links, (accessible at:  http://www.siut.org/bioethics/Newsletter%20June,%202014.pdf), CBEC faculty decided that the Centre needed to be reviewed by an international group of peers so that we could get an unbiased opinion regarding our accomplishments, our shortcomings and our future trajectory. The fact that such a review of a bioethics centre had never been reported in English language literature did not deter us; we are quite used to inventing our own wheels. Our reviewers were also brave to accept the challenge of the unknown and take up the onerous task of doing something they had never done before. Their commitment lasted much longer than the four days they spent on campus; it consumed several weeks thereafter during which the eight willing academics visited CBEC, toiled hard to make sense of what they observed, and to put it all in a report that was submitted to the SIUT Director in June 2014.  Their findings resonated with those of three external evaluators who had submitted their analyses based on their experience with CBEC and its activities and a faculty report that had been sent to them.

Our reviewers found the academic programs to be rigorous, interactive and challenging. Commenting on the course work they said, “The quality and topic range of the modules are world class.” Regarding the impact of the programs, they opined that CBEC’s “bioethical influence has extended beyond its office walls to other medical and also non-medical institutional settings …”

The review team found several distinctive features of CBEC which set it apart from other bioethics centres around the world. In the opinion of one reviewer, among CBEC’s most distinguishing characteristic(s) was the “inclusion of the term and concept of ‘Culture’ in its name” and the attention given to religion as a source of ethics. Another commented that, “CBEC’s conception of ‘culture’…   attempts to link ‘particularism’ and ‘universalism’ through its recognition of the ‘commonalities’ along with the dissimilarities that persons who belong to different societies and cultures bring to a moral life … This kind of multi-faceted and knowledgeable perspective on culture(s) is one of CBEC’s most distinctive attribute. It is a perspective that is minimized or marginalized, if not largely ignored by many other bioethics centres.”

Reviewers noted that an important feature of the teaching is “how well grounded instruction is in the clinical realities that students face in their professional lives. A fine balance is struck between didactic teaching and exposure to conceptual bases of bioethics … many programs in the West and elsewhere, fail to find this balance.”

The review team also appreciated the formal inclusion of literature, poetry and humanities in formal educational sessions. They were particularly pleased with the way CBEC faculty keep in touch with the alumni and facilitate them in their various bioethics related activities. The efforts made to keep the network of alumni engaged in bioethics, years after their graduation was also noted.

While acknowledging the Centre’s achievements at national and international levels, the reviewers however felt that the small core faculty could eventually “burn out” if faculty and support staff were not increased, strongly recommending an increase in their numbers. While impressed by the research output from CBEC over the last decade reviewers recommended that we devise a research agenda and appoint faculty specifically trained in research to be able to use our potential to the optimal. Dr. Adib Rizvi, SIUT’s Director, knows how to consolidate his successes. Based on the review recommendations, he has asked CBEC to embark upon an immediate expansion of its programs.

Needless to say, CBEC faculty was delighted with the report! We also found the review process to be a learning experience providing us new insights into ourselves, while also helping us to chart our future directions.