International Francophone Bioethics Network

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Réseau Francophone International de Bioéthique (RFIB)

International Francophone Bioethics Network (IFBN) 

Coordinators

Charles Dupras, Université de Montréal, Canada

Guillaume Durand, Nantes Université, France

Armand Ngaketcha, Institut Africain de Bioéthique, Cameroun

Founders

Jean-Christophe Bélisle-Pipon, Simon Fraser University, Canada

Charles Dupras, Université de Montréal, Canada

Samia Hurst, Université de Genève, Suisse 

Jean-Noël Missa, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium

Vardit Ravitsky, The Hastings Center, USA

Background

The idea of a Réseau Francophone International de Bioéthique (RFIB) / International Francophone Bioethics Network (IFBN) emerged in 2020. The project is based on:

• The observation that English is the predominant language used in transnational Bioethics collaborations worldwide;
• The belief that it is important to recognize and take into account the linguistic and sociocultural particularities within Bioethics discourses and practices in diverse regions of the world;
• The absence of a shared platform for exchanging Bioethics knowledge, experiences, perspectives, and frameworks in French.

Objectives

The RFIB aims to gather people and societies interested in the various sub-fields of Bioethics, such as clinical and organizational ethics, research ethics, responsible innovation, public health ethics, health technology ethics, global health ethics, and environmental ethics. 

Below are some of the more specific objectives the network can set for itself:

• To promote effective networking and collaboration between French-speaking individuals and communities interested in Bioethics on all continents;
• To facilitate the diffusion and mobilization of innovative ideas and      frameworks developed in the various French regions represented in the      network – to other French-speaking audiences, as well as to our colleagues around the world speaking other languages;
• To explore and compare the different uses of French concepts and terminology when describing and deliberating on common issues and situations in Bioethics;
• To develop and maintain a broadly accessible platform for sharing useful resources (publications, educational materials, webinars, research data, news);
• To support both international and local initiatives in ways that promote the great diversity and relevance of Francophone Bioethics. 

Highlights

In 2023, the project was awarded funding by the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) through its IntenSciF funding scheme to conduct an international survey of French-speaking individuals involved in the teaching, study, research, and/or practice of bioethics. The objective of this large-scale survey was to better characterize the challenges and needs of this community. The network is now building on the survey findings to refine its mission and identify priorities for the coming years.

In 2024, the network organized an international workshop in Nantes (France) to identify concrete strategies for strengthening bioethics training capacity in three sub-Saharan African countries: Benin, Cameroon, and Côte d’Ivoire. Bringing together partners from diverse institutional and national contexts, the workshop helped identify shared needs and priority areas for capacity building. The network also adopted its official logo and launched the infrastructure for a federating online platform designed to facilitate communication, resource sharing, and collaboration among its members.

In 2025, the Réseau d’éthique clinique international francophone (RECIF) joined the network as a key partner. Priorities identified through the 2023 survey and during the 2024 workshop in Nantes informed the ETHISSA project, which was successfully awarded funding through the European Union's Erasmus+ programme. This initiative represents a major step forward in advancing sustainable bioethics education, strengthening institutional capacity, and fostering long-term collaboration among francophone institutions across Africa, Europe, and North America.

Last updated: 09 Aug 2026