Postgraduate Course: Biotechnology, Law & Society (LAWS11181)
Course Outline
| School | School of Law |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course examines the role played by law in the regulation of biotechnology. The course draws out two central problems relating to the use of law in this dynamic field. First, it is often difficult for regulators to keep pace with rapid advances in biotechnology and the life sciences. This means that existing legal concepts and regulatory frameworks can soon appear outmoded and inadequate. Second, in an age of moral pluralism, it can be difficult for stakeholders to secure social consensus on how new biotechnologies should be controlled and exploited. As a result, the regulation of biotechnology has often been a site of sharp political disagreement. This module examines how these fundamental tensions are mediated within the legal and regulatory structures governing biotechnology at both the national and international levels. |
| Course description |
1. Biotechnology & regulation
2. Stem cell research 1: National frameworks
3. Stem cell research 2: European & international frameworks
4. Colonising the future
5. New modes of governance
6. GM foods
7. Intellectual property and the life sciences
8. Genetics & criminal law
9. Genetics & race
10. Biotechnology and our 'post-human' future
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Please contact the distance learning team at escript.support@ed.ac.uk |
| Additional Costs | Students should have regular and reliable access to the Internet.
Print consumables (paper and ink) would be recommended to provide hard copy of some on screen text and materials (e.g. articles). |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Please contact the distance learning team at escript.support@ed.ac.uk |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Academic year 2014/15, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 40,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
156 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
One essay of up to 4,000 words (60%); one piece of assessed work (20%); contribution to online discussions (20%). Requirements for all module assessment will be outlined to students within the individual modules at the start of each semester. |
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
The aims of this module are to:
1. Consider the nature of biotechnology as a technological, economic, political and social endeavour;
2. Explore the role played by the law in resolving political and ethical disagreements pertaining to the regulation of biotechnology;
3. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of various legal interventions in the life sciences.
By the end of this course the student should be able to:
1. Appreciate the range of competing considerations and interests at play in the regulation of biotechnology;
2. Be able to formulate well-reasoned and coherent arguments relating to biotechnology law;
3. Show a solid understanding of current national, regional and international regimes for the control of biotechnology, and where appropriate suggest reforms thereof.
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Contacts
| Course organiser | Mr Shawn Harmon
Tel: (0131 6)51 4267
Email: Shawn.Harmon@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Douglas Thompson
Tel: (0131 6)50 2022
Email: D.Thompson@ed.ac.uk |
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© Copyright 2014 The University of Edinburgh - 12 January 2015 4:16 am
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