Information session on the social and societal Ethics Committee

The Social and Societal Ethics Committee (SMEC) at UHasselt consists of a multidisciplinary panel of experts who look into the possible social, societal, and ethical issues at Hasselt University. In this session, Prof. Dr. Johan Ackaert (emeritus with assignment School of Social Sciences and chairman of the SMEC) and Stephanie Ruysschaert (staff member Responsible Research and Innovation), will outline ethics and integrity at UHasselt and the role of the SMEC.

• Brief outline of ethical dimensions of research 
• Why is awareness of ethics and integrity growing?
• Who are the UHasselt actors with regard to ethics & integrity?
• Functioning of the Social Ethics Committee
• Information on working with personal data within a research project

Learning outcomes

At the end of this session, participants...

• will be aware of ethical dimensions related to their research,
• will have insights in UHasselt structures related with ethics and integrity,
• will be able to complete the GDPR-checklist,
• will be able to prepare a request for ethical advice.

Competences

An important part of preparing for any further professional step is becoming (more) aware of the competences you have developed and/or want to develop. In the current session, the following competences from the UHasselt competency overview are actively dealt with:

For whom?

• PhD students & postdocs

When?

• The session will take place on January 20, 2026 - 10:00-11:00.

Where?

• The session will take place at Campus Hasselt, Old Prison, room TBC

Registration?

• Registration is possible here as from October 16 until December 18, 2025.
• As places are limited, registering does not automatically imply that you will be able to participate. You will be notified by email in due time.
• Please cancel your registration at least one week in advance in case you cannot make it (cfr. cancellation & no-show policy).

Acknowledged as?

• Category 'ethics and integrity' - session on ethics