Posted by : Admin|Date : 14 Nov, 2025|Location : Karamsad

India’s First Centre of Bioethics Launched at Bhaikaka University, Karamsad Under International Chair in Bioethics, Porto, Portugal

 The Centre of Bioethics was inaugurated at Bhaikaka University, Karamsad, marking the first such centre in India to be launched under the aegis of the International Chair in Bioethics (ICB), Porto, Portugal.

The University has been home to the Gujarat Unit of the International Chair in Bioethics—formerly the UNESCO Bioethics Chair Program, Haifa—since 2015, and this upgraded Centre reflects its growing commitment to leadership in ethical education, interdisciplinary research, and capacity building in healthcare.

The inaugural ceremony was graced by distinguished experts including Prof. Rui Nunes, Head of the International Chair in Bioethics (ICB), a Full Professor of Bioethics at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP),  Dr. Nandini Kumar, Retired Deputy Director General, ICMR & President of Forum for Ethics Review Committees in India (FERCI  Dr. Anant Bhan Consultant, Bioethics & Public Health at Sangath and Adjunct Faculty at Yenepoya University, Mangalore, as well as senior leadership of Bhaikaka University—Dr. Abhay Dharamsi, Provost; Dr. Jyoti Tiwari, Registrar; Dr. Swapnil Agarwal, Dean, Pramukhswami Medical College; and Dr. Barna Ganguly, Professor, Department of Pharmacology, PSMC—along with other senior members and faculty of Bhaikaka University and Pramukhswami Medical College. Dr. Barna Ganguly, being a senior member of International Chair in Bioethics is instrumental for this new venture in India.

The newly launched Centre of Bioethics is envisioned as an academic and research hub dedicated to promoting ethical discourse across healthcare and related fields. Its scope includes offering certificate courses, workshops, and faculty development programs, as well as providing consultation for integrating Bioethics modules into MBBS, Nursing, and Allied Health curricula at the national level. The Centre will also undertake funded research on ethical issues emerging in healthcare and technology.

With a focus on collaboration, the Centre aims to build strong partnerships with national and international bioethics institutions and networks, host joint symposia, webinars, and conferences, and support the functioning of institutional and hospital ethics committees. It also plans to develop a digital repository of ethics resources and case materials for wide dissemination.