معرفی
Professor Franck Meijboom is Professor of Sustainable Animal Stewardship at Utrecht University with dual appointments in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and the Ethics Institute (Faculty of Humanities). He serves as Head of the Centre for Sustainable Animal Stewardship (CenSAS) and Head of the Department of Population Health Sciences. His work bridges theoretical ethics with practical applications in animal use contexts, focusing on the moral dimensions of human-animal relationships across various sectors including agriculture, pest control, research, and companionship.
Meijboom studied theology and ethics at Utrecht University in the Netherlands and the University of Aberdeen in the UK. His academic journey has led him to become a prominent figure in animal ethics, with his inaugural address as Professor of Sustainable Animal Stewardship delivered on May 7, 2024.
His research explores the ethical questions arising from human interactions with animals in diverse contexts. Meijboom examines fundamental questions such as "Are there limits to the use of animals?" "How far can you modify animals to meet our wishes?" and "How do you manage the life and death of animals?" His work emphasizes the connection between ethical theory and moral practice, often through interdisciplinary collaborations with practitioners, government bodies, and other stakeholders. He investigates animal use ethics, veterinary ethics, agricultural and food ethics, and the role of public trust in these domains.
Analysis of his recent publications reveals a consistent focus on practical ethical challenges in animal stewardship. His work spans animal welfare assessment frameworks, end-of-life decisions for animals, ethical implications of biotechnology and genome editing, fish welfare, and human-animal relationships in pest control contexts. There's a clear trend toward addressing emerging technologies and their ethical dimensions while maintaining attention to foundational questions about animal moral status and welfare.
- Editor, Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics (2012-2018)
- Member, Raad voor Dieraangelegenheden (Council for Animal Affairs)
- Organizer, 18th Congress of the European Society for Agricultural and Food Ethics (EurSafe)
- Active participant in multiple national and international ethics committees
As an educator, Meijboom coordinates bachelor and master teaching in ethics at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and co-coordinates the Master course "Sustainable World" in the Master's in Applied Ethics. He has developed the online course "Ethics of Animal Welfare" and has supervised numerous PhD candidates on topics related to animal ethics. His research has been supported by national and European funding bodies focusing on animal welfare, sustainable breeding technologies, and ethical dimensions of animal use.
Meijboom leads the Centre for Sustainable Animal Stewardship (CenSAS), which serves as a hub for interdisciplinary research and dialogue on ethical animal use. His work often involves collaboration with government agencies, industry stakeholders, and animal welfare organizations to address complex ethical questions at the intersection of science, policy, and practice.
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