“When we are planning for posterity, we ought to remember that virtue is not hereditary.” ~ Thomas Paine
In 2009, the Center launched the Global Bioethics Education Initiative (GBEI). The purpose of GBEI is to invest in rising international leaders and scholars in the field of bioethics in hopes to further advance Christian bioethical engagement globally.
Our first two participants, Dr. Jameela George and Dr. Megan Best, came to us this summer from India and Australia respectively. They are both physicians who are actively involved in bioethical engagement. It was a privilege to have Dr. George and Dr. Best at the Center. They were a welcomed presence and made a unique contribution during the week of the summer conference.
Each accepted candidate spends one month at the Center’s facilities in Deerfield, IL. During this time they have the opportunity to network with the Center’s research scholars and other GBEI recipients, conduct research related to bioethics for the purpose of contributing to the field in their perspective context, and participate in the Center’s annual summer conference. Participants are then invited to submit proposals for starter grants to develop education or event programs in bioethics upon their return. These projects could range in scope from initiating a course or conference in their home country to founding their own bioethics center.
Both women expressed that their time at CBHD was profitable and how grateful they were to meet like-minded bioethicists. Dr. George’s time at the Center “deepened my understanding of bioethics and has sharpened my ability to critically analyze ethical issues with a Christian perspective.” Dr. Best had this to say about her time at CBHD, “I have been encouraged that it is important as a Christian to be involved in bioethics, and to continue what I am doing despite the odds in Australia. The academic standard of the Center has encouraged me to pursue academic excellence in my work and this has helped me set my priorities as I return to Sydney.”
Through this initiative, the Center continues to cultivate an international network of bioethicists who promote excellent scholarship committed to a Judeo-Christian worldview and the wealth of the Hippocratic tradition in medicine. After the success of its inaugural year, CBHD hopes to continue the Global Bioethics Education Initiative which was made possible by a generous gift. If you would like to invest in scholars that will have a global impact please contact Paige Cunningham at pcunningham@cbhd.org.
If you know of an international bioethics scholar who you believe would be a worthy candidate for this initiative, please contact Jennifer McVey at jmcvey@cbhd.org.
