Help Shape the Future of the IAB!

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To inform its strategic planning on future programmatic priorities, the IAB conducted an online survey that was launched in October 2023 and closed in June, 2024.  Links to summaries of the findings from more than 200 respondents are below, in the 10 most frequently spoken languages. 

Each version is also available in different color formatting options: One uses traffic light colors for charts, and the other a color scheme that increases accessibility for a wide range of color-blindnesses. 

If you should require another language, and/or face other accessibility barriers, please email us at the contact page and we will be in touch to explore alternative options.  

First, you may wish to use this webform here (English, Mandarin Chinese, Hindi, Spanish, Arabic, French, Bengali, Portuguese, Russian, Urdu) to provide any reactions, recommendations or other constructive points you may wish to share.  Since the (volunteer) analysis team is most fluent in English, English language responses would help.  However, please feel free to respond in whatever language you feel you can best express yourself in, and we will then translate it into English for analysis purposes. 

Second, and depending on the time you are reading this, as an alternative, or in addition to sharing a written comment, please consider joining a virtual 60 minute (maximum 90 minute) Listening Session, that will take place July-August 2026.  The dates and sign-up links for these sessions can be found below, and will be posted as they are confirmed. There will also be an in-person session as part of the 2026 World Congress on Bioethics.   

NOTE: Except for the session as part of the 2026 World Congress on Bioethics, you do not have to be an IAB member to offer comment on either the survey findings, or during the Listening Sessions.  

If you are unable to join any of the Listening Sessions; if you have joined one, but would still like to share further comments, or if you are viewing this page after the Listening sessions have concluded, please share your thoughts until October 31, 2026, using one of the the before mentioned webforms (English, Mandarin Chinese, Hindi, Spanish, Arabic, French, Bengali, Portuguese, Russian, Urdu). 

For any questions or concerns related to this initiative, please contact Harald Schmidt (lead on behalf of the IAB's Board of Directors) at schmidth@mail.med.upenn.edu, or the University of Pennsylvania’s IRB at (215) 898-2614 (protocol: 26-6192).

Once the Listening Sessions and the thematic analysis will be completed, we will add summaries of the themes that emerged on this page, and also share a response from the IAB.

Please download a pdf version of the summaries of the baseline survey findings below (links going live from June 10):

English (traffic light color scheme for charts), English (accessible color palette) 

Mandarin Chinese (traffic light color scheme for charts), Mandarin Chinese (accessible color palette)

Hindi (traffic light color scheme for charts), Hindi (accessible color palette) 

Spanish (traffic light color scheme for charts), Spanish (accessible color palette)

Arabic (traffic light color scheme for charts), Arabic (accessible color palette)

French (traffic light color scheme for charts), French (accessible color palette) 

Bengali (traffic light color scheme for charts), Bengali (accessible color palette)
Portugese (traffic light color scheme for charts), Portugese (accessible color palette) 
Russian (traffic light color scheme for charts), Russian (accessible color palette)
Urdu (traffic light color scheme for charts), Urdu (accessible color palette)

Completed Listening Sessions:

Francophone Network

Co-hosted with Charles De Gaulle, July 9th, 2026 at the World Congress of Bioethics in Johannesburg, South Africa

Asia

Co-hosted with the Southeast Asia Bioethics Network (SEABION), August 13th, 2026

Upcoming Listening Sessions:

Oceania

Co-hosted with Sydney Health Ethics, Sydney School of Public Health

• General Listening Sessions (session in English), September 14th, 2:00-3:00pm NZ, sign up here

Africa 

Co-hosted with the Africa Bioethics Network (ABN)

• ECR who are established in academia or otherwise, but have not worked in bioethics for more than 10 years (session in English), TBD
• ECR who are students but have not worked in bioethics for more than 10 years (session in English), August 12th, 4:00PM EAT, TBD
• General Listening Session (session in English), August 17th, 4:00PM EAT, TBD

Latin America and Caribbean 

Co-hosted with the Bioethics Program of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)

• All active in bioethics for less than 10 years (session in Spanish), date and time TBD 
• All active in bioethics for any time (session in Spanish), date and time TBD 
• All active in bioethics for any time (session in English), date and time TBD 

Europe

Co-hosted with the Institut für Bio-und Medizinethik, Universität Basel

• ECR Listening Session, TBD
• General Listening Sessions, TBD

USA & Canada

Co-hosted with the Hastings Center on Bioethics

• General Listening Sessions (session in English), August 20th, 9:00AM ET, sign up here
• ECR Listening Session (session in English), August 21st, 9:00AM ET, sign up here