Registration of self-funded participants: Holistic Foundations for Assessment and Regulation

20.04.2006

Self-funded participants - The course has 20 places available to applicants from all countries that are able to secure their own sponsorship/funding. Please register by 20 June.

Date: 31 July – 11 August 2006

Venue: Science Park/University of Tromsø, Norway

Topics include:

Holistic overview of genetics, genes and gene expression
Genome sequencing, bioinformatics and functional genomics
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) from GMOs
Various application areas for genetic engineering
Various risk areas connected to GE applications/GMOs
Economic and legal aspects of GE applications/GMOs
Socio-cultural, ethical, and political issues in GE applications/GMOs
Policy and regulatory issues, including capacity building and biosafety implementation
Future and emerging GE applications
Alternatives to GE/GMO applications and gene ecology
Laboratory practicals on PCR and HGT into bacterial and mammalian cells
Risk assessment review practicals of actual GMO applications


Background
The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety seeks to protect human health, the environment, and socio-economic conditions from the potential risks posed by the use and movement of “Genetically Modified Organisms” (GMOs). Implementation of biosafety regulation is therefore the focus of many countries to establish such safeguards. However, the process of implementing the Protocol has unveiled the lack of basic scientific knowledge necessary to perform risk assessments, and a holistic understanding of the policy, legal, regulatory, ethical, economic and social dimensions is also lacking in many cases.
Performing credible biological risk assessments requires multi-disciplinary scientific and social scientific competence that considers the local context of GMO introductions. Each country needs to be able to conduct general scientific risk assessment and management, and also specifically tailor these to their particular environmental, health, and safety conditions and needs. Moreover, there is a need to assess GMOs developed domestically, or imported purposely or accidentally from others, into the context of their special cultural, ethical socio-economic and policy frameworks. Such initiatives will require holistic approaches to develop adequate regulation over the use of GMOs.

About the course
The course is designed to provide policy makers, regulators, scientists and NGOs/civil society leaders, specifically from developing countries (ODA-countries), with the necessary balanced and critical knowledge and training in crucial GE/GMO issues. Through lectures, laboratory demonstrations, group work on case studies, and discussions, we offer biosafety capacity building within a holistic framework. Participants will also be required to submit a GE/GMO/biosafety country report in order to more broadly share their local experiences of the current status of GMOs/biosafety with other participants.
Costs and expenses
Full sponsorship has already been allocated to 40 successful applicants from developing countries. The course has 20 places available to applicants from all countries that are able to secure their own sponsorship/funding. The course fee of $1000 USD includes curricular materials, lunch (13 days), opening/farewell ceremony, local transport and social activities. In addition, non-sponsored participants will also have to pay for their travel and accommodation (hotel approx. US $120/night incl. breakfast and dinner).

The working language of the course will be English only, and as such, applicants should be able to work sufficiently well in English in both oral and written communications.


Self funded participants need to register by 20 June 2006. Download registration form.

Contact information:
Norwegian Institute of Gene Ecology (GenØk)

Att: Katrine Jaklin
Science Park, PB.6418
N-9291 Tromsø
Norway

E-mail: biosafety@genok.org / katrine.jaklin@genok.org
Phone: +47 77 64 55 46
Fax: +47 77 64 61 00
Web: www.genok.org