Top Tips for Getting Published in Bioethics Series 2.0
March 19, 2025
Pint Of Science
May 7, 2025Top Tips for Getting Published in Bioethics Series 2.0
March 19, 2025Pint Of Science
May 7, 2025Building Capacity in Bioethics: Empowering Local Communities in Laos
The “Building Capacity in Bioethics: Empowering Local Communities in Laos” workshop, held on 11–12 March 2025 at Lao Plaza Hotel in Vientiane, brought together scholars, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and community advocates to strengthen bioethics capacity in Laos. Organised under the Southeast Asia Bioethics Network, the event aimed to foster culturally relevant, inclusive, and practical bioethical practices tailored to the Laotian context.
Across two days, the workshop featured seven thematic sessions and multiple plenary discussions. Topics included fundamentals of bioethics, healthcare ethics, ethics in research involving people with disabilities, cultural perspectives in bioethics, data sharing ethics, and top tips on publishing in bioethics journals. Key presentations highlighted the need for bottom-up approaches in bioethics that are sensitive to local traditions, religious values, and social contexts. Special attention was given to challenges faced by the Deaf community and disabled populations, underlining the importance of inclusivity and respect in research and clinical practice.
Participants engaged in in-depth group discussions through case studies, addressing complex ethical dilemmas such as bribery in public healthcare, medical disclosure within cultural hierarchies, and informed consent for cochlear implant research. These sessions fostered dialogue around balancing patient autonomy, family roles, and systemic fairness.
A major outcome was the articulation of a Laos Bioethics Wish List, prioritising capacity building in research ethics, funding access, institutional guidelines, and public engagement. Five breakout groups collectively called for improved ethics committee structures, mentorship in publishing, inter-committee collaboration, and strengthened bioethics training for healthcare workers.
The event also featured a presentation on the Southeast Asia Bioethics Network’s 2025 grants, including a special one-off funding opportunity for researchers in Laos to catalyse local bioethics research and professional growth. Discussions on publishing in the Asian Bioethics Review encouraged young scholars to participate more actively in international discourse.
This workshop fosters a closer working relation between the Southeast Asia Bioethics Network and the Laos bioethics community toward a stronger, locally grounded bioethics ecosystem. The event concluded with commitments to follow-up surveys, mentorship opportunities, and sustained regional collaboration to advance equitable and culturally appropriate bioethics in Southeast Asia.
