Upholding Ethics in Health and Medical Research: HELP Course Batch 7 – 3rd Series

Yogyakarta, August 26, 2025 — Amid the rapid advancement of health and medical research, a fundamental question arises: how can research generate new knowledge while continuing to uphold human rights, dignity, and safety? This critical question formed the foundation of the HELP (Humanity–Ethics–Legal–Professionalism) Course Batch 7 – Third Series, which focused on the theme “Health and Medical Research.”

The HELP Course is a flagship educational program regularly organized by the Center for Bioethics and Medical Humanities (CBMH), Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FK-KMK UGM). The course is open to healthcare professionals from diverse backgrounds and aims to equip participants with both theoretical understanding and practical competencies in medical ethics and health humanities. Structured into six thematic series, the program is designed to be applicable not only in professional practice but also in the everyday ethical decision-making of healthcare professionals.

The third series was conducted online from 18–26 August 2025 and brought together participants from universities, hospitals, research institutions, and government agencies across Indonesia. The high level of participation reflected a growing awareness that high-quality research must go hand in hand with ethical integrity.

Over the course of seven days, the program featured leading experts in bioethics who delivered comprehensive sessions on a wide range of topics, including the history and importance of research ethics, responsible conduct of research, and ethical review processes by research ethics committees. Contemporary issues, such as the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in medical research, were also critically examined. Participants further deepened their understanding of key international ethical standards, including the Declaration of Helsinki, the Belmont Report, and the CIOMS Guidelines.

Practical and context-specific ethical challenges were discussed extensively, covering issues such as informed consent, the involvement of vulnerable populations, data confidentiality and protection, biobank research ethics, and ethical considerations in social and health humanities research. The interactive discussions highlighted that ethics should not be viewed as a barrier to research, but rather as a foundation for producing knowledge that is responsible, just, and centered on humanity.

The course concluded with a post-test and collective reflection session. Beyond reinforcing ethical awareness at every stage of research, this series also contributed to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) through the promotion of safe and ethical health research, and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) by fostering collaboration among academics, healthcare professionals, and research institutions nationwide.

With the completion of the HELP Course Batch 7 – Third Series, participants are expected to become agents of change, promoting ethical, responsible, and human-centered research practices in their respective institutions and professional environments.

Editor: Rafi