Ruth Stirton

Extract from the email: "I am writing to express my considerable concern about the proposed cuts affecting PEAK at Keele University. As a relatively new lecturer working in the field of bioethics, I have seen PEAK as a shining beacon of hig...h quality and innovative scholarship. This is true of the professors at the top,(Angus Dawson and Stephen Wilkinson) as well as the lecturers at the beginning of their careers (Sheelagh McGuinness and Sorcha Ui Chonnachtaigh). All the scholars are internationally recognised, and internationally renowned, playing significant roles at a global level. They are also remarkably productive in an era of increased teaching loads and administrative duties. To lose such an important centre of excellence would be a significant loss to bioethics research just at a time when bioethical issues are getting more complex.
At a national level, PEAK is a leader in ethics education for professionals – for example, a significant number of NHS Research Ethics Committee members are graduates of a PEAK training course. This grounding in ethics is fundamental to the success of the NHS Research Ethics Service in the UK. Having attended one of these courses at the beginning of my involvement in research ethics, I can vouch for their excellence.
Whilst there is no doubt that the current economic climate makes the business of running a university extremely difficult, axing a unit with such high impact and such good quality research output seems to be shortsighted folly. As a researcher who has been privileged to work with members of PEAK for some years, and hopes to be able to for many more, I would urge you to reconsider the closure of such an important centre of bioethical research."

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