Chairs’ Message

Since antiquity, the difficulty of fulfilling multiple and sometimes conflicting moral obligations to different parties has been well recognized. By the 19th century, the emergence of engineering as a distinct profession was accompanied by a need to clarify the relationship between the self interest that practitioners of engineering have in advancing their careers and business interests, and their moral obligations to society, to their employers and/or clients, and to their profession. As global, social, environmental and business pressures have evolved over the past 150 years, ethical dilemmas have intensified. It has become necessary for all of us to reflect carefully as we traverse an evolving and increasingly challenging ethical landscape.

IEEE Ethics 2016 will provide an exciting opportunity for researchers, regulators, educators and practitioners alike to debate, discuss and deliberate concerning modern engineering ethics and ethical standards, and their impact on our lives, careers, profession and society. Keynotes and panels, posters and presentations, tutorials and workshops, and breaks and a reception will enable exchange of experience and perspectives on many levels. With support from The Boeing Company, the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia (APEGBC) and TELUS Communications Company, we are preparing a vibrant and rich experience for symposium participants. We look forward to welcoming you to Vancouver in May 2016!

On behalf of the Organizing Committee

Philip Hall (University of Melbourne) and Ljiljana Trajkovic (Simon Fraser Unversity)
General Co-Chairs

Dan Steele (University of British Columbia), Subrata Saha (Downstate Medical Center) and Bob Gill (British Columbia Institute of Technology)
Program Co-Chairs

Charles Rubenstein (Pratt Institute)
Executive Chair and ETHICS Symposium International Steering Committee Chair