Centre for Ethics of the University of Tartu invites everyone to a public conference on ethics, education and AI to mark its 25th anniversary

Illustratiivne
Author: Kertu Rajando

On 2 October, as part of its 25th anniversary celebrations, the Centre for Ethics of the University of Tartu invites everyone interested to the public international conference “Ethics in a Changing World: New Directions in Ethics, Education and the Age of Artificial Intelligence”. The conference can be attended either in person at the University of Tartu Library or online.

Location: University of Tartu Library (W. Struve 1)

Organisers: Centre for Ethics of the University of Tartu and the Estonian Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence (EXAI)


Part I. Twenty-Five Years of Ethics: Looking Back, Looking Forward

Chair: Toivo Maimets, Professor of Cell Biology, University of Tartu

09:00–09:15 Opening Address by Margit Sutrop, Head of the Centre for Ethics; Professor of Practical Philosophy, University of Tartu

09:15–09:55 Ruth Chadwick, Professor Emeritus, Cardiff University, Editor of the Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics
Applied ethics: the third wave

09:55–10:35 Antti Kauppinen, Professor of Practical Philosophy, University of Helsinki
Can there be progress in ethics?

10:35–10:50 Coffee Break

Chair: Kristi Lõuk, Project Manager, Centre for Ethics, University of Tartu

10:50–11:30 Dirk Lanzerath, Director of the German Reference Centre for Ethics in Life Sciences and Professor of Philosophy, University of Bonn
The Rediscovery of Bioethics: Learning From the Past, Shaping the Future

11:30–12:10 Cordula Brand, Scientific Coordinator and Managing Director at the International Centre for Ethics in the Sciences and Humanities, University of Tübingen
From Researcher’s Ethos to Institutional Ethical Governance and back: Rethinking the Ethics of Science in the 21st Century

12:10–12:30 Short Break

Chair: Heidy Meriste, Lecturer in Practical Philosophy, University of Tartu

12:30–13:10 Francesco Orsi, Associate Professor of Theoretical Ethics, University of Tartu
When Metaethics Goes Practical

13:10–13:50 Kadri Simm, Professor of Practical Ethics, University of Tartu
From Moral Theory to Teaching Ethics

13:50–14:30 Lunch

Part II. Critical Reflections on Artificial Intelligence

Chair: Meelis Kull, Professor of Artificial Intelligence, University of Tartu

14:30–15:10 Jürgen Mittelstrass, Professor Emeritus, University of Konstanz, Editor of the Enzyklopädie Philosophie und Wissenschaftstheorie
Education and Artificial Intelligence – A Strange Relation

15:10–15:50 Lorna Waddington, Associate Professor of International History, University of Leeds
Navigating GenAI, Epistemic Justice, and Academic Freedom in Research

15:50–16:10 Coffee Break

Part III. The Use of Artificial Intelligence in Education

Chair: Mari-Liisa Parder, Research Fellow in Ethics; Research Projects Coordinator, Centre for Ethics, University of Tartu

16:10–16:50 Mihalis Kritikos, Secretary, European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies; Policy Analyst, Research Ethics and Integrity, European Commission (DG RTD)
Governing AI in Europe: The EU AI Act and the Challenges of AI in Science and Innovation

16:50–17:10 Ivo Visak, CEO of the AI Leap Foundation
Overview of the AI Leap Education Programme

17:10–17:40 Margit Sutrop, Head of the Centre for Ethics, Professor of Practical Philosophy, University of Tartu; Katrin Laas-Mikko, Head of Risk and Compliance at SK ID Solutions, Artificial Intelligence Ethics Specialist, University of Tartu
Presentation of the Report "Ethical, Educational, Social, Legal and Technological Risk and Value Analysis of the AI Leap Learning Application and Educational Programme" (Margit Sutrop, Dan Bogdanov, Katrin Laas-Mikko, Liina Kamm, Andra Siibak, Henrik Trasberg)

17:40–18:00 General Discussion

Registration is open until 29 September

“The world has changed considerably over the past 25 years, but the need for ethics has not diminished. On the contrary, the faster technology and society develop, the more important it becomes to ask what we truly value and what we consider to be a good life. Ethics does not always provide ready-made answers, but it helps us recognise the values behind our choices, consider their implications, and navigate disagreements in a way that allows us to maintain common ground even when our views differ,” says Professor Margit Sutrop, founder and Head of the Centre for Ethics of the University of Tartu.

The conference will bring together Estonian and international experts to discuss the questions and developments shaping the role of ethics today and in the future. The focus will be on new directions in ethics, the impact of artificial intelligence on education and research, and ways of navigating value-based disagreements in society.

As part of the anniversary celebrations, we will also launch the newly published anniversary volume of the Centre for Ethics of the University of Tartu, “Murrang. Eetikast ja väärtustest muutuvas ajas” (Turning Point: Ethics and Values in a Changing World). Its contributors include former presidents, academics, researchers, practitioners, and prominent figures from public and cultural life who have helped shape discussions on values across different areas of Estonian society. The volume reflects on developments over recent decades, the challenges we face today, and what lies ahead.

The Centre for Ethics' 25-year story, by Professor Margit Sutrop


The 25th anniversary celebrations of the University of Tartu Centre for Ethics are supported by the University of Tartu’s Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Faculty of Social Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, and Faculty of Medicine. The event is also supported by the Estonian Doctoral School through the project “University Cooperation in Promoting Doctoral Studies” (2021–2027.4.04.24-0003), co-funded by the European Union. The activities of the Estonian Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence (EXAI) are funded by the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research. The event is supported through the Ministry of Education and Research’s Centre of Excellence grant TK213 (Estonian Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence (EXAI)).