VIB Social Research Programme 1999-2002
Under the first contract with the Flemish Government (1996-2001) VIB was given the task and the means to set up a major social research programme. From the project proposals received in response to VIB call for proposals to Flemish research institutions in 1998, seven projects were selected after a strict international evaluation.
The objective of the programme was to investigate relevant societal questions in fields that would become increasingly more important in the future, in support of VIB’s science communication. A second objective was to build a bridge between biotechnology – as a natural science – and the social sciences.
The seven projects lasted from two to four years and they all started during the course of 1999:
1. The challenge of genetic testing for late onset diseases.
Prof. Gerry Evers-Kiebooms (the K.U.Leuven), Myriam Welkenhuysen (the K.U.Leuven)
Information about the work can be found on their website. In July 2005 a book has been published that is partly based upon the project. This book: 'Die ziekte in mijn familie, krijg ik die later ook?' can be ordered from www.lannoocampus.com.
2. EUWAB; European Union Welfare Effects of Agricultural Biotechnology
Prof. Eric Tollens (the K.U.Leuven), Matty Demont (the K.U.Leuven)
A project website gives all the necessary information about the project, including all the articles that have appeared. In addition, it also contains a search-engine for relevant biotech-agro-economic professional literature.
3. Xenotransplantation
Prof. Ingrid Kristoffersen-Ponjaert (the Vrije Universiteit Brussel) Dominique Verte (VUB), Patrick Lambrecht (the Vrije Universiteit Brussel)
Among other things, the project has produced VIB brochure ‘Xenotransplantation: the beast in Man... (pdf - 1248 Kb)’
4. Methods for a Flemish social debate on Biotechnology
Dr. Lieve Goorden (the University of Antwerp), Joke Vandenabeele (the University of Antwerp)
The most important publication from this project is the report entitled ‘Biotechnologie en het debat anno 2002....een vooruitblik (pdf - 398 Kb)’ (Biotechnology and the debate in the year 2002… a preview). The report contains practical information about how to conduct a quality debate in which lay people can take part.
5. The attitude of the Flemish consumer towards genetically engineered foods and the development of a segmented communication strategy
Prof. Jacques Viaene (Ghent University), Xavier Gellynck (Ghent University), Annelies Verdurme (Ghent University)
The project has given rise to many publications and to the doctorate of Annelies Verdurme (Consumer attitudes towards genetically engineered foods and development of a segmented communication strategy).
You can find the main results of the project in the brochure ‘De Vlaamse consument en genetisch gewijzigd voedsel; met aanbevelingen voor een doelgroepgerichte communicatie (pdf - 1941 Kb)’ (only in Dutch).
6. Economic aspects of medical biotechnology
Prof. Bart Clarysse (Vlerick Leuven-Gent Management School), Johan Albrecht (Ghent University)
This project has among other things produced the following working papers:
- Biotechnology and vitamin A deficiency in developing countries. A comparative economic assessment of Golden Rice (pdf - 483 Kb)
- The cost-effectiveness of Herceptin® in a standard cost model for breast-cancer treatment in a Belgian university hospital (pdf - 679 Kb)
7. Ethical aspects of germ-line gene therapy
Prof. Guido Van Steendam (International Forum for Biophilosophy)
This project has among other things given rise to an international workshop on the ethical aspects of germ-line gene therapy, which was held in Brussels in December 2002.