St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore Hosts Global Conference on Ethics Education

Bangalore, 12 June, 2025 : St. John’s National Academy of Health Sciences, Bangalore, is currently hosting the 13th International Conference in Ethics Education from 12–14 June 2025, drawing over 300 participants from across India and a dozen other nations. The theme for this year’s gathering is “Ethics Education: An Imperative for Future Generations.”

Organised by Fr. Charles Davis, the newly appointed Director of the CCBI Bioethics Forum, the event is a significant platform for cross-cultural and interdisciplinary dialogue on ethical teaching and its crucial role in shaping the future.

The conference was formally inaugurated by Gerald Mathias, Bishop of Lucknow and Chairman of the CCBI Bioethics Forum, who extended greetings and offered prayers for its success. Fr. Jesusdoss Rajamanickam, Director of St. John’s, warmly welcomed the delegates and emphasised that ethics must be recognised not as a peripheral concern but as a central pillar of education. Embracing ethical values, he said, helps nurture individuals of integrity, empathy, and responsibility.

Prof. Henk ten Have, President of the International Association for Education in Ethics (IAEE), addressed the assembly on the question “Why Ethics Education is Imperative?”, setting the tone for the ensuing discussions.

Dr. Bhagavan M.C., Vice Chancellor of Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, highlighted the importance of reviving our ethical awareness to uphold justice in education and beyond. Similarly, Dr. B.N. Gangadhar, Chairperson of the National Medical Council (NMC), in his keynote address, urged healthcare professionals to act with compassion as a core ethical value.

The conference also marks the participation of Monsignor Renzo Pegoraro, a distinguished figure in medicine and bioethics, who was recently appointed President of the Pontifical Academy for Life. His presence adds a strong international and interdisciplinary dimension to the event.

St. John’s Medical College expressed its honour in hosting such a prestigious assembly, viewing it as a vital opportunity to enrich ethical discourse. Delegates are optimistic that the outcomes of the conference will significantly influence education systems, embedding ethics at the heart of learning across sectors.

By Stanislaus Alla SJ