Prof. Dr. Christiane Woopen, Director of the Center for Life Ethics, was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia by Minister President Hendrik Wüst on April 2 for her full-time and voluntary work in the field of ethics.

© Photo: Land NRW / Josua Dunst

“Above all, it's about explaining ethical issues to a broad public in a generally understandable way,” said Wüst, summing up the essence of her work. “It's about accompanying social debates and providing comprehensive advice to politicians on these difficult issues.”

The ethicist contributed her expertise e.g. to various committees of the German Medical Association - among others on the regulation of pre-implantation diagnostics, as a member of the Ethical and Medical-Legal Policy Committee and on medical end-of-life care. Christiane Woopen was also involved with donum vitae e. V. for pregnant women and mothers in need: she was instrumental in the counseling concept, the founding and development of numerous counseling centers in North Rhine-Westphalia and supported the work of the association on all medical, ethical and psychosocial issues through counseling, coaching and lectures.

In his laudatory speech, Wüst emphasized her national and international work in various ethics councils: among other roles, she served as Chair of the German Ethics Council and the European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies, as well as President of the Global Summit of National Ethics/Bioethics Committees.

“The 12 people who received the Order of Merit of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia from Minister President Wüst today are committed, in their own unique ways, to a good life across the whole breadth of society. The appreciation shown by politicians for this diverse commitment is a particularly positive and motivating sign for me”, says Christiane Woopen.

Since 2021, the ethicist has held a Hertz Excellence Professorship at the University of Bonn, where she founded and heads the Center for Life Ethics.

© Photo: Land NRW / Josua Dunst