The Right to a (or no particular) Child? Reproductive Autonomy in the Context of New Technology in Reproductive Medicine



Wednesday, 12. October 2016 | 14:00 Uhr

Speaker

Andrea Büchler

Organisation

University of Zurich

Reporting

In her presentation, Professor Andrea Büchler, University of Zurich, drew attention to Switzerland’s highly restrictive legislation concerning prenatal procedures.

The framework set out in the law on repro-ductive medicine is very narrow. The numerous restrictions are problematic from the standpoint of the fundamental right to reproductive self-determination.

The consequence: “Many couples travel abroad to circumvent local legislation.” Consequently, the issue is slipping further and further out of Switzerland’s control.

In her presentation, she also called for an intense social debate on fundamental values in reproductive medicine because medically assisted procreation not only means artificial, but always also optimized, reproduction.

Andrea Büchler

Born in St. Gallen in 1968, she studied law in Basel between 1990 and 1995. In 1998, she obtained her Ph.D.; in 2002, the Venia Docendi in Private Law, Comparative Law and Gender Law at the University of Basel.

Andrea Büchler has been Professor for Private Law and Comparative Law at the University of Zurich since 2002 and focuses her research on the following areas: civil, family, and medical law in legal comparison; international private law; classic Islamic law and applicable law in Arab countries; and legal gender studies.

In 2003, she co-founded the Center for Family Studies, an organization operating throughout Switzerland that initiates, conducts and supports high-quality research in the area of family studies. Since 2007, she has been Co-Director of Postgraduate Studies in Family Law.

During the academic year 2008/2009, Andrea Büchler was a Fellow at the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin and thereafter was a Visiting Professor at the University of California Berkeley’s School of Law. In 2012, she was a Fellow at The Straus Institute at New York University. Since 2009, she has been a Fellow at the Collegium Helveticum ETH/UZH.

 

Since January 2016, Andrea Büchler has been President of the National Ethics Commission in the field of human medicine.

Donators and Partners

The ETH Board is responsible for the strategic leadership of the ETH domain and assumes the supervision of its institutions. Its close relationship with the ETH Council has contributed to the successful continuation of Academia Engelberg Foundation since 2000.

The Foundation promotes research into the connecting human fundamentals of science. Academia Engelberg Foundation and the Foundation for Basic Research in Human Sciences have entered into a cooperation agreement for the period 2011 to 2015.

Helvetia is a quality-oriented comprehensive insurance company with over 150 years of experience. Academia Engelberg Foundation is convinced it will be able to use important synergies from the partnership starting in 2015.

A partnership with the University of Lucerne has existed since summer 2013. Since 2016 we have also a parthership with the Faculty of Economics and Management of the University of Lucerne. Through these partnerships, synergies are used and joint projects are tested and realized. The University of Lucerne currently consists of three faculties: the faculties for Theology, Culture and Social Sciences, and Law.

Media Partner