About HCBG
Gene technology and biotechnology—especially in combination with new information technology—touch upon the basic principles of modern society and will fundamentally change the future of humanity. Current discourse includes overarching issues in the field of reproductive medicine such as sperm and egg cell donation or surrogate parenting, genetic diagnostics, pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, therapeutic and reproductive cloning, stem cell research, human research, transplantation medicine (living donor transplantation, xenotransplantation), or dignified death and patient provisions. In public health, which has special significance for society and the economy, there is ongoing discussion about how to organize the insurance system and allocate resources (rationalization, prioritizing in light of high performance medicine). All of these areas touch upon basic questions, for example about how a society describes itself and human beings, how to deal with knowledge, uncertainty, and ignorance, or how to regulate new technologies and their consequences.
The Hamburg Center for Bio-Governance (HCBG) takes a cooperative and interdisciplinary approach to research, teaching, and public relations, and it offers a forum and platform for scientific networking. Activities include regular events and conferences on interdisciplinary and current topics from the respective fields of research, symposia, lecture series and seminars, and Faculty-based and cooperative research projects.
The managing director of the Hamburg Center for Bio-Governance is Prof. Dr. Marion Albers. Further members of the directorate are Prof. Dr. Regine Kollek and Prof. Dr. Regula Valérie Burri.
Any professor, junior professor, Privatdozent, or research associate (with Habilitation or PhD) employed at a Hamburg university and whose scientific publications indicate sufficient qualification in the research area may apply for membership. In exceptional cases, individuals who are not employed by a Hamburg university may be accepted for membership.