Talking Ethics, a Key Skill for the Next Generation of Biomanufacturing Professionals.
On May 26, some twenty RampUp students took part in a mini Ethics Bowl at Polytechnique Montreal. Objective: to encourage reflection and dialogue around major public health issues. (Photo: Blanche Photographe)
During a pandemic, Pharmaceutical companies receive significant public funding to develop vaccines. However, intellectual property protections often grant them control over production and pricing. In turn, this raises serious concerns about vaccine equity. How can we guarantee fair access to vaccines, in the face a future public health crisis, while ensuring the industry has the resources to continue innovating to save lives?
In the event of a major avian flu outbreak, preventative measures, will be necessary. Indeed, mass vaccination of farm workers, might be necessary to curb its spread. But after the controversies surrounding COVID-19, how should we approach this vaccination? The economic, logistical, and philosophical implications, raise more questions. How far can we demand sacrifices from a small group in the name of public health? Particularly, when it comes to preventing a still hypothetical catastrophe?
These are all crucial and polarizing questions, which about twenty RampUp students addressed on May 26th, during a mini Ethics Bowl organized at Polytechnique Montréal.
A partnership between RampUp, Bridge Research Consortium, and Ethics Bowl Canada, this friendly competition fosters reflection and dialogue around major public health issues. Through the analysis of complex dilemmas, this one-day event invited students to compare their perspectives, listen to others, and explore the moral and ethical implications of decisions with significant consequences. (More information on the approach here.)
This second edition builds on the success of the first, held in 2025, and pursues the same goal: to prepare the next generation to operate in often uncertain contexts, where decisions made can have significant repercussions on populations with very diverse realities and needs.
Graphic recording from the first edition (2025), which illustrates the themes, lessons and experiences that emerged from the teams’ discussions.
Listen, ask questions, listen again
Participants split into teams of three, or four. Each team had five minutes to establish their position on an assigned case. They also prepared answers to the questions their position raises. Finally, they presented their reflections to another team, in front of two judges. Five minutes is a very short time to make decisions. bHowever, the goal is not to find a perfect solution or construct an impeccable argument. Rather, the answers serve as a starting point for an in-depth discussion. During the following fifteen minutes, the audience comments on the proposals and challenges the team on their position. The process leads them to consider other perspectives and, even reassess their position. Then it is the other team’s turn to present their case, sparking a new conversation.
“Public health experts confont emergencies in their professional lives. These experts must be able to reflect and exchange information constructively and effectively to quickly reach a decision” explains one of the judges. Another adds: “The questions raised by these cases are among those we constantly ask ourselves in our field, without any universal solution. The next generation of experts will face them, as well. This exercise allows them to appreciate their many dimensions.”
Consider the human dimension and the diversity of realities
According to a 2026 survey of 2,400 adults across Canada, the conditions under which vaccines are developed and reach the Canadian market remain unclear to many people. For example, only 40% of respondents reported having at least some knowledge of how vaccines are tested. The situation is similar regarding vaccine monitoring. Meanwhile, just under half of respondents (43%) said they would be more likely to get vaccinated if they were better informed.
As experts in the field, biomanufacturing professionals certainly have a role to play in informing the public. However, it exists in the context of trust erosion towards health authorities and the pharmaceutical industry. Considering both the health measures imposed during the pandemic and the anti-vaccine rhetoric of some public figures, the already complex issues surrounding vaccination have also become sensitive. It is thus essential to be well-equipped to address them effectively.
Here again, the key lies in listening and being open to different viewpoints. By providing participants a safe space for discussion and encouraging them to consider the challenging arguments from others, the Mini Ethics Bowl pushes them to broaden their horizons. The ability to explain why some people might disagree with their position is, in fact, one of the team evaluation criteria.
Ethics as a compass
If viewpoints diverge, if the interests of some can conflict with those of others, and if no solution can generate a consensus. Then, on what basis should one make public health decisions? On morality and ethics, answer the philosophers.
After a short theoretical introduction, the participants were invited to revisit the cases and re-examine the positions previously established, focusing on the following philosophical principles: the duality between the desire to limit suffering and that of maximizing benefits, respect for the right to autonomy of individuals, the issues of partiality, the primacy of the majority, the duty of integrity of decision-makers and fidelity to their values at all times, and the relevance of integrating the perspectives of non-expert people into scientific research.
“While the vast majority of our master’s and doctoral students consider moral and ethical issues essential to their work, these discussions remain rare, or even absent, in their study or work environments. Exercises like today’s show them that they have a vital role to play in the public debate and give them the right reflexes to participate thoughtfully and constructively,” emphasizes Pierre-Jean Alarco, Executive Director of RampUp.
