Ethical Board Members
Elizabeth (Liz) Mestheneos, Ph.D., Age Platform Europe and 50plus Hellas. Liz Mestheneos, a Past President of Age Platform Europe and founder member of 50plus Hellas. After leaving the UK and an academic teaching job, Liz moved to Greece into film production. She helped found a research company, and had 20 years of experience in R&D on social issues including ageing. Liz in 2005 was a founder member of 50plus Hellas, an NGO concerned with the human rights and active participation of older people, acting as CEO until 2016. She served on AGE Platform Europe’s Board from 2003 and as its President 2008-11. She was on the Board of IFA 2008-2015 and visited Japan then. She is emeritus member of the Board of the Hellenic Association for Gerontology and Geriatrics, supporting the e-library. (www.gerolib.gr) Her mission is to represent older people’s perspectives, especially in the use of ICT. She has worked as juror on many EU projects and is always concerned with their ethical dimensions, hence her interest and involvement in the ethics Board of e-VITA. Her articles are on Research Gate, and she is trying to finish writing a book on Greek post cards of older people.
Mr. Takeshige Sugimoto is the founder, firm principal and partner of the firm. Mr. Sugimoto focuses his practice on data protection, privacy law, and AI regulations in the US, EU, UK, China, and Japan. Mr. Sugimoto is admitted to practice in Japan and New York, and is a member of the Brussels Bar Association (B-List), the New York State Bar Association, and the Dai-Ichi Tokyo Bar Association.
Ulrich G. M. Hemel, Director of Global Ethic Institut, Tübingen and Director of Institute of Social Strategy, Berlin-Jena-Laichingen. Ulrich Hemel has successfully completed studies of Philosophy, Catholic Theology, Social and Economic Sciences in Mainz, Rome and Regensburg and holds a chair for ethics in business at the Weltethos Institute at the University of Tübingen. As such, he is a founding member of the Public Advisory Board to CyberValley, the largest AI hub in Europe, with an eye to social and ethical considerations in AI. He recently published his book “Critique of digital reason” with a humanistic and ethical perspective on digital identity, digital labour, digital politics, digital ethics and digital religion. Having been the CEO of a large nursing home chain in Germany, he has an affinity to age and ageing related issues, especially under ethical considerations. As a mission, he opts for digital sovereignty of the human person taking his or her own decisions, along with “digital fairness” of companies and organizations.
Gérard Cornet, Vice Chairman of the University Institute for gerontology Yves Mémin, Charles Foix Gerontology Hospital UMPC. Main competencies : Gerontechnology assessment of innovations for the well being and care of older persons : Ethics, utility, usability in daily environment, accessibility,f ull consent, dignity, risks minimization, security, economic model. Gerard is a senior lecturer for the Gerontology Diploma Charles Foix Hospital UMPC University Paris and a Consultant member of The National Council for Silver Economy. He is an initiator and member of the Scientific committee for the multidisciplinary Conference targeting social researches and innovations for well ageing at home that will take place in Normandy on 2022 (supports: University of Normandy, Unicaen Lab of Pauline Lenesley, Gerontopole of Normandy, balneary resort City of Cabourg for logistic) Gerard is writing fancy novel and tales dealing with digital technology. Gérard Cornet accepted to answer to an interview for eVITA : Creating a virtual coach for Active and Healthy Ageing : Challenges, obstacles and opportunities You can click on the link to read this great interview here.
Chris Gastmans from KU Leuven. Chris Gastmans is full professor of medical ethics and chair of the Centre for Biomedical Ethics and Law, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, Belgium. He is co-ordinating the research lines ‘clinical ethics and care for older adults’ and ‘ethics of innovative health technologies’. De interdisciplinary composition of his research group allows for carrying out fundamental-ethical research, as well as applied-ethical research. Besides the clinical-ethical research projects on care for older adults (including persons with dementia) Gastmans co-ordinated PhD research projects on the use of socially assistive robots in elderly care and on the design, development and use of electronic tracking devices in dementia care. Recently, he got funding from the Flemish Government (Flanders’ Care) to develop a framework for the ethical screening of innovative health technologies. Chris Gastmans has also established an annual Summer Course on Ethics in Dementia Care in which the ethical aspects of robotics is a key component.