Island of Ideas
How a Croatian Archipelago Shaped the Future of Bioethics
The Mediterranean Spark
Imagine an Adriatic island where ancient olive groves meet cutting-edge ethical debates. Every spring since 2001, scholars from Zagreb to Seoul have converged on Mali Lošinj, transforming this Croatian haven into a global bioethics epicenter. The Lošinj Days of Bioethics began not in a university hall, but amid island breezes, symbolizing its mission to connect ethics with lived environments. By its 10th anniversary in 2011, it had catalyzed a revolutionary approach: integrative bioethics—a framework now reshaping medical, environmental, and technological ethics worldwide 1 .
The Lošinj Laboratory: Where Disciplines Collide
Philosophical Foundations
Integrative bioethics emerged here as an antidote to fragmented ethical approaches. Unlike traditional models focusing solely on medical dilemmas, Lošinj's vision embraced:
- Pluri-perspectivity: Integrating theology, philosophy, law, and medicine 1
- Cultural embeddedness: Weaving Mediterranean traditions of virtue ethics with global challenges
- Practical urgency: Addressing post-communist transitions in Southeast Europe
Croatian philosopher Ante Čović championed this synthesis, arguing bioethics must become "a science of survival" (echoing Van Rensselaer Potter's original definition) .
Milestones in Lošinj's First Decade
| Year | Key Development | Global Significance |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Inaugural conference with Potter's final lecture | Linked bioethics to planetary health |
| 2005 | First Southeast European Bioethics Forum | Established regional scholarly networks |
| 2011 | 10th anniversary honoring Potter's legacy | Formalized integrative bioethics framework |
The Potter Connection
The 2011 conference held special poignancy, commemorating Van Rensselaer Potter (1911–2001)—the oncologist who coined "bioethics." Months before his death, he addressed Lošinj via audiovisual message, urging ethicists to confront the "new epoch" of ecological crises. His call became the conference's DNA: "Bioethics must be a bridge between science and humanities" 1 .
Experiment Spotlight: Mapping Ethical Futures
The CHANGER Project: AI as an Ethics Tool
In 2025, researchers from the University of Split leveraged Lošinj's interdisciplinary spirit to tackle a critical problem: Can AI accelerate ethics reviews for emerging technologies?
Methodology
- Scoping Review: Analyzed 200+ studies on Research Ethics Committees (RECs) challenges.
- AI-Assisted Gap Mapping: Trained algorithms to identify patterns in consent forms, privacy protocols, and policy gaps.
- Stakeholder Validation: Tested findings with RECs across Europe 3 .
Key Challenges in Tech Ethics Reviews (CHANGER Findings)
| Challenge | Frequency | High-Risk Technologies |
|---|---|---|
| Informed consent gaps | 78% | AI diagnostics, genetic editing |
| Privacy vulnerabilities | 65% | Health data mining, biometrics |
| Transparency deficits | 59% | Algorithmic decision-making |
Results
The team developed an interactive Evidence and Gap Map (EGM), revealing that 62% of RECs lacked tools to evaluate AI projects. Their solution—a modular review framework—reduced approval delays by 40% while enhancing risk detection 3 .
The Scientist's Toolkit: Essentials for Ethical Innovation
Pluri-perspective matrix
Maps stakeholder viewpoints
Integrative gap analysis
Identifies policy-science disconnects
Cultural hermeneutics
Interprets ethics through local customs
Lošinj's Legacy: From Adriatic to Global
Networking the Disciplines
By 2011, Lošinj had hosted scholars from 22 countries, with sessions spanning:
"Islands impose interconnection. You cannot retreat to disciplinary silos when the sea surrounds you."
The Mediterranean Advantage
Rooted in traditions of phronesis (practical wisdom), Lošinj's approach contrasts with principle-based Anglo-American bioethics. As Spanish ethicist Diego Gracia observed, it offers "a model where dialogue precedes dogma" .
Conclusion: Ethics as an Ecosystem
Ten years after its milestone anniversary, Lošinj's legacy is clear: bioethics thrives at intersections. From Potter's final message to AI ethics mapping, it proves that solutions emerge when disciplines collide in spaces designed for connection—whether on a Croatian island or in the "archipelago" of human knowledge. As climate and AI ethics dominate the 2020s, Lošinj's integrative compass points toward a resilient future: one where ethics isn't applied to life, but emerges from it 1 .
"No discipline alone can build the bridge to survival. We step onto it together—or not at all."