Timm Teubner Appointed to Commission for Ethics in Research at Technische Universität Berlin

Timm Teubner, ECDF Professor of Digital Service Engineering at the Technische Universität Berlin, has been appointed to TU Berlin’s Commission for Ethics in Research. Teubner’s research focuses on the digital platform economy and human-AI interaction – topics that he will now bring to the committee’s work. "Especially in times of rapid technological development, it is important to pause and reflect on potential unintended consequences,“ Teubner explains. "As a member of the Commission for Ethics in Research, I want to help ensure that excellent and responsible research remains a top priority at TU Berlin.“

Ethical reflection on the appropriate aims and methods of scientific research is playing an increasingly prominent role in the German and European research landscape. Since February 2021, the Commission for Ethics in Research has advised the Executive Board and has drafted Ethics Guidelines for research at TU Berlin, which are intended to be binding for the entire university. The KEF provides advice on individual cases involving critical research and compliance issues, particularly those related to dual-use research, compliance with TU Berlin’s civil clause, export control procedural issues and other ethical questions. It also supports decentralized faculty ethics committees by serving as a point of contact and clearing office, offering recommendations on complex cases and training opportunities. However, it does not routinely issue ethics opinions on research proposals or publication applications submitted by TU Berlin researchers. For this purpose, decentralized ethics committees have been and continue to be established within the individual faculties.