Asian and Pacific Rim Research Integrity (APRI) Network Meeting 2017

Asian and Pacific Rim Research Integrity (APRI)The first meeting in Asia of the Asian and Pacific Rim Research Integrity (APRI) Network was held at HKU on February 20–22, 2017. More than 100 delegates from across the region attended the event. 

APRI seeks to foster research integrity (RI) though multinational awareness, understanding and opportunities for collaboration. The Network first met in the US in February 2016.  

HKU President Professor Peter Mathieson

In his welcome address, HKU President Professor Peter Mathieson noted that the Asian and Pacific Rim region encompasses a broad range of cultures and countries, and that coming together at this meeting provided an opportunity for experts to advance the conversation on RI and to further build the network.  

HKU was suggested as the meeting venue because of its ongoing commitment to promoting RI and its ease of access from many countries in the region. Participants came from Australia, Bhutan, Cambodia, Canada, mainland China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and the USA.

Asian and Pacific Rim Research Integrity (APRI) Network Meeting 2017The meeting had four key objectives:

  • articulate differences as well as areas of common ground,
  • identify best or recommended practices,
  • identify opportunities for research collaboration, and
  • set an APRI network agenda for the coming years.

To meet these objectives, seven plenary and four break-out discussion sessions were held, as well as numerous opportunities for informal chats. As the focus was on active participation, the structure of the plenaries was designed to best facilitate this, with brief talks on RI issues by a panel of speakers leading into open debate with participants.

Speakers and organisers from HKU included Professor Mai Har Sham, Associate Vice-President (Research) and Professor Frederick Leung and Professor Danny Chan, HKU’s Director and Deputy Director of Education and Development for Research Integrity, respectively. Amongst the many non-local specialists were Professor Michael Kalichman and Mr Eric Mah from the University of California, San Diego; Ms Zoë Hammatt, formerly of the Office of Research Integrity; Dr Rebecca Davies, University of Minnesota; Mr Tony Mayer, Nanyang Technological University; Professor Surendra S Shastri, Tata Memorial Centre; and Professor Ovid Tzeng, University System of Taiwan.

Topics discussed included definitions of terms, issues faced, good practices, teaching about RI, institutional mechanisms, cross-border misconduct, regional collaboration, and the future of APRI. Participants valued the emergence of the Network, particularly as a facilitating body and resource hub, and suggested initiatives such as sharing materials and expertise, developing a website, collaborating on research into RI, and also convening again next year.

At the close of the meeting, Professor Andy Hor, HKU’s Vice-President (Research), thanked participants for the enthusiastic and valuable contributions and encouraged them to continue to share their expertise, practices and insights into responsible conduct of research as this would be more effective that individual institutions working on these issues in isolation.

The meeting was held in Hong Kong and co-hosted by HKU and the University of California, San Diego, with generous support from the Croucher Foundation and the Office of Research Integrity.
 

Members of the Planning Committee

              Members of the Planning Committee

 

At HKU, promoting responsible conduct of research (RCR) has been made a top priority of the research management and is a core value of the University. Initiatives include dedicated senior academics to promote RI, a Policy on RI, regular university-wide RCR seminars for staff, a funding scheme to support faculty-based activities, online RCR materials, compulsory ethics courses for research students, and active participation in international RI networks and activities.

More information on RCR training can be accessed by HKU members at http://www.rss.hku.hk/integrity/rcr/rcr-info.