Dubravka Vejnović, Center for the Promotion of Science (CPN)
Ms Dubravka Vejnović is an expert associate at the Center for the Promotion of Science, Belgrade, Serbia and a PhD candidate in human genetics. She coordinates several EU funded projects and is very interested in bioethical issues. Ms Vejnovic is a secretary of Cambridge Working Group for Bioethical Education in Serbia.
How did you become involved with the SATORI project?
The Center for the Promotion of Science was the member of project’s consortium from the beginning of the project, since January 2014. At that time I was already working on several other projects. One of the first tasks in work package one was writing reports on ethical assessment in different scientific fields. CPN was involved in writing the report on genetics; so having in mind that I hold MSc degree in genetics my superiors asked me to join the team. Soon I become the project manager.
What is your role in the SATORI project?
My task is to coordinate project’s activities that involve the Center for the Promotion of Science. Our institution is involved in majority of work packages and we are the leader of WP 10 – Communications. Of course, I am not alone in this mission; I have several associates whose contribution is most valuable.
What would be the most desirable outcome of the project?
Contrary to the rest of the partners in the consortium Serbia is not yet a full member of the EU and issues of ethics in research and innovation are just beginning to emerge on the agenda. In that perspective developing a common European framework for ethical assessment of R&I would be the most useful outcome of the project, as well as mutual learning workshops with various stakeholders.
What would be most important contribution of the project to society? Why?
Our ambition is to identify, point out the problems which constrain ethics assessment in EU countries, but also in Serbia and finally to give recommendations of how to improve it. We believe that SATORI will make the biggest change in counties that recently started to recognise ethics assessment as inseparable part of research process and that we have a great potential of engaging different stakeholders.
What is the most challenging part of the project?
The most challenging part is consolidation of all scientific fields under one unique umbrella of standards and procedures for ethical assessment. That’s why project partners are working hard on the evaluation of standardisation potential as well as cost effectiveness of the nominated process.
How do you see mutual learning taking place in the SATORI project? What can you take with you home?
Mutual learning is a crucial part of the project. The goal of the mutual learning sessions is presenting ethics framework developed and getting feedback from participants that may be helpful in fine-tuning and implementing the framework at future occasions.