New technologies have the power to fundamentally shape our societies and people’s everyday lives. This places a profound responsibility on scientists and engineers as they help creating the socio-technical environments we live in. Becoming a good scientist, researcher, engineer, or designer therefore not only requires a sound understanding of technical foundations, but also an understanding of how technologies intersect with societal change and ethical questions.

In our courses on ethics and responsibility, we use creative and interactive formats – such as card-based discussions, group work - to explore ethical questions in research and technology development. We introduce students to tools and methods that help identify and reflect on how technologies, as part of socio-technical systems - potentially contribute to risks and what it takes to create desirable futures through technology development.

Our courses provide an opportunity to learn and enter into dialogue about ethical frameworks and concepts (the know-what), but also for discovering what it means to consider ethical, social and environmental issues in specific practices of research, technology development and design (the know-how). 

According to TU Wien’s curriculum design guidelines, opens an external URL in a new window, topics of technology assessment, technology genesis, history of technologies, ethics in science, gender mainstreaming and diversity management should be covered by at least 3 ECTS. Our courses contribute to fulfilling this requirement.

You can find current and upcoming courses offered by our team, opens an external URL in a new window in TISS, opens an external URL in a new window. If you are interested co-developing a course with us, feel free to contact marjo.rauhala@tuwien.ac.at or lisa.sigl@tuwien.ac.at.

Resources: 

• Børsen, T., Yann, S., Kiera, R., André, B., Rebecca, P., Tatiana, S., & and Zandvoort, H. (2021). Initiatives, experiences and best practices for teaching social and ecological responsibility in ethics education for science and engineering students. European Journal of Engineering Education, 46(2), 186-209. https://doi.org/10.1080/03043797.2019.1701632
• Chance, S., Børsen, T., Martin, D. A., Tormey, R., Lennerfors, T. T., & Bombaerts, G. (2025). The Routledge International Handbook of Engineering Ethics Education. Routledge International Handbooks. https://vbn.aau.dk/en/publications/the-routledge-international-handbook-of-engineering-ethics-educat
• Martin, D. A., Conlon, E., & Bowe, B. (2021). A Multi-level Review of Engineering Ethics Education: Towards a Socio-technical Orientation of Engineering Education for Ethics. Science and Engineering Ethics, 27(5), 60. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-021-00333-6

Documentation of AI use: The style of an early version of this text was polished by using Chat-GPT (July 7, 2025).