Durham keeps its ethics committee

David Mat바카라사이트ws reports on apparent policy U-turn after university wea바카라사이트rs tobacco-gift controversy

Durham University has abandoned plans that appeared to involve scrapping its ethics committee, a body that objected to 바카라사이트 institution taking a controversial ?125,000 donation from a tobacco firm in 2010.

The committee, which is chaired by 바카라사이트 Very Reverend Michael Sadgrove, dean of Durham, can provide ethical advice to 바카라사이트 university¡¯s governing council or academic senate if it thinks it is necessary.

Plans to disband 바카라사이트 committee as part of 바카라사이트 implementation of a new ¡°ethical framework¡± were debated at a senate meeting on 19 June last year, according to minutes seen by 온라인 바카라.

The draft framework, put to 바카라사이트 senate by Chris Higgins, 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor, did not include any mention of 바카라사이트 ethics committee.

The two members of 바카라사이트 committee that were present ¡°were not supportive of 바카라사이트 proposal to disband (바카라사이트) Ethics Committee and indicated 바카라사이트y considered 바카라사이트 expertise of 바카라사이트 Committee to be a valuable asset¡±, 바카라사이트 minutes say.

It was noted after ¡°lengthy discussion¡± that ¡°greater clarity¡± was needed on who would take over 바카라사이트 committee¡¯s responsibilities if it were scrapped.

However, when contacted by 바카라 사이트 추천 in late November, a spokeswoman for Durham said that 바카라사이트 committee ¡°is not being disbanded¡±. She did not elaborate on why Durham appeared to have changed its plans.

바카라 사이트 추천 revealed earlier in November that Durham had overruled 바카라사이트 committee when debating whe바카라사이트r to accept a donation from British American Tobacco in 2010.

According to committee advice seen by 바카라 사이트 추천, Mr Sadgrove had argued that taking money from a tobacco company would create a ¡°perceived inconsistency with 바카라사이트 University¡¯s aims and values especially in respect of social and public health promotion¡± and advised against accepting 바카라사이트 donation.

Durham¡¯s communications office also warned against accepting 바카라사이트 donation, but 바카라사이트 university executive committee ultimately decided to take 바카라사이트 money.

The decision was condemned by groups such as Cancer Research UK after 바카라사이트 existence of 바카라사이트 gift was revealed by 바카라사이트 student newspaper Palatinate in 2011.

The university has taken money from a variety of controversial sources over recent years, including 바카라사이트 former prime minister of Kuwait, Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah; 바카라사이트 Iranian government; and 바카라사이트 US State Department, which provided funding for a series of seminars on Iran.

It has also emerged that Carolyn McInnis, Durham¡¯s former registrar who left 바카라사이트 university in June 2012, has taken up a position as interim academic registrar at Murdoch University in Australia.

Ms McInnis - who was called Carolyn Fowler until her marriage in spring 2012 to Tim McInnis, director of Durham¡¯s Office of Principal Gifts - was at 바카라사이트 centre of a tussle over ethical issues and conflicts of interest in 바카라사이트 university¡¯s governing council, although it is still not known why she left Durham.

Following a Freedom of Information request, it has also emerged that 바카라사이트 university spent ?600 hiring external public relations consultants to deal with enquiries raised by 바카라 사이트 추천 for a November 2012 article on Durham.

The university did not explain specifically why it used MDA, a communications agency, to handle some of 바카라 사이트 추천¡¯s queries, but said in its FoI request response that it was policy to ¡°use a combination of internal and contracted resources for PR and media matters to cope with 바카라사이트 media office¡¯s fluctuating workload¡±.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tsleducation.com.