Karlsruhe, December 2024

The Ethics Commission addresses the call issued in October 2024 by an initiative of KIT members to critically review research collaborations with Israeli research institutions and research groups as follows:

The freedom of science and teaching is guaranteed by Article 5 (3) of the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany. This freedom of research also includes the right of researchers to choose their cooperation partners independently. This freedom can be restricted by legal regulations if, for example, other constitutionally protected interests – such as human dignity or the protection of natural resources – are violated by the objectives, methods or outcomes of the research. This enormous freedom granted to each individual researcher by the Basic Law entails an equally significant responsibility for their actions and the consequences of their actions.

As the Ethics Committee of KIT, we aim to fulfill our mandate to promote dialogue and discourse on ethically challenging issues. We therefore call on all members and employees of KIT to reflect on their freedoms and to be explicitly aware of their responsibility for their research activities and the consequences of their research. The current guidelines for ethical principles of KIT in the version of July 22, 2024 provide valuable guidance in this regard.

We are confident that all researchers at KIT exercise the utmost care when choosing their cooperation partners and adhere to applicable laws. In the absence of specific and clear legal regulations, the decision as to whether a research cooperation aligns with the maxims of the Guidelines for Ethical Principles of KIT always has to be assessed for each individual case.

Furthermore, we believe that deliberate and trust-based research collaborations – even and especially in challenging circumstances and with partners from diverse global contexts – will ultimately contribute to the resolution of global challenges. However, should ethical concerns emerge or be identified in relation to existing or planned research collaborations with individuals, groups, institutions or facilities in Germany and abroad – for instance, due to shifts in the global political landscape – the Ombudspersons for Ethical Principles, in conjunction with the Ethics Committee of KIT, are available to provide guidance and support to all researchers, particularly the responsible project leaders.

The Ethics Committee of KIT