David C. Thomasma International Bioethics Retreat

Each year, the Program, along with the Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics and Cambridge University Press, sponsors the David C. Thomasma Memorial International Bioethics Retreat. The Retreat is unique among bioethics meetings in that experts in medicine, philosophy, law, and health policy are invited from around the world to present their current research projects. Every year the Retreat's success grows in expanding and strengthening an international community of bioethicists. To date, the following countries have been represented: Argentina, Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, England, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Poland, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, South Africa, Qatar, Russia, Scotland, Serbia, Sweden, and the United States.

Participation is limited. Financial assistance may be available to bioethicists from developing nations through the Bioethics Beyond Borders program, which is funded by generous donations received from retreat participants.

20-24 June 2011, University of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England

The 20-24 of June has been set as the dates for the 2011 International Bioethics Retreat to be held at the University of Cambridge.

Dates & Tuition

20 – 24 June 2011

Meeting sessions begin Monday 20 June and go through Friday the 24th. We will have lunch together on Thursday.

It is especially important that you give advance notice if you are unable to join for lunch. We suffer a financial penalty if we do not fulfill our reservation.

Keeping costs down is always a prime consideration and it’s not getting any easier with the Euro rising and the dollar sinking. Knowing the financial restraints most everyone finds themselves with, we have kept the primary tuition level with the past two years at $450 for participants. All guests will now pay $250 tuition. All non-U.S. residents who wish to pay in euros, please contact Tomi Kushner via email.

Program

The Program will be posted as soon as it is finalized. Check back for updates.

Reserving Program Space
If you wish to make a presentation, send your title and abstract to Tomi at TKushner@aol.com for review by the Program Committee.

It is of utmost importance that all presenters have a full audience during their presentation, from the opening morning to our Friday finales. With the requested return to a five day retreat, we ask that out of respect for your peers and their desire for useful feedback you attempt to plan your stay accordingly.

The number of participants invited to attend the Retreat is limited to afford maximum interaction. To reserve your space, a note of intent should be sent to Antonio or Tomi. We will then need to receive tuition by 15 April to confirm your reservation. For cancellations after that date there will be a non-refundable $100 processing fee. No refunds will be issued for cancellations received after June 1.

Practical Information

Getting There

Cambridge is located in the East of England, 50 miles north of London. Most participants will need to fly into London. It is less than an hour by train and is easily accessible from the A14 and M11 motorways.

Most intercontinental flights to London land at Heathrow airpport. Other international flights also land at Gatwick, Luton, and Stansted. If you fly into Heathrow, Luton, or Gatwick, take the train into London and get another train from London King’s Cross & London Liverpool Street through to Cambridge. If you are able to, it is easiest to fly into Stansted where there is a direct train route to Cambridge.

Once at the Cambridge train station, you'll need to take a bus or taxi into the city. The University purposefully placed the train station outside of easy reach from the students to discourage them from going in and out of London and its dens of iniquity. Cambridge city centre is served by five Park and Ride bus routes.

Once in Cambridge, the meeting space is in the Pitt Building at the University, on Trumpington Street between King's College Chapel and the Fitzwilliam Museum.

More information can be found on Cambridge University Press's website.

If you're not in the EU, you can buy train tickets in advance through Rail Europe.

Where to Stay

Cambridge is a small college town and, as such, its accomodations are reasonable. The following accomodations are just a few suggestions; other options are available.

Arundel House Hotel
Chesterton Road, Cambridge
Tel: +44 (0)1223 367701

Facing the River Cam, a fair priced hotel that is less than a 1 mile walk from our meeting location (1.59 km). Enjoy watching students play cricket at Jesus Green.

De Vere University Arms Hotel
Regent Street, Cambridge
Tel: +44 08706 063606

The relaxing greenery of Parker’s Piece makes for a stellar backdrop to this hotel. The meeting distance is less than two-fifths of one mile (0.6 km).

Royal Cambridge Hotel
Trumpington Street, Cambridge
Tel: +44 (0)1223 351631

Be sure to visit the Fitzwilliam Museum, a site you will pass as you walk the less than one-third of one mile to our meeting location (0.5 km).

Crowne Plaza Cambridge
20 Downing Street, Cambridge
Tel: +44 871 942 9180

The shortest lodging distance to the retreat site, your daily walk will take you by the Cambridge University Museum of Zoology (0.25 km)


General tourism and travel information, including more lodging options can be found at Visit Cambridge.

Contact Information

For general information, contact Antonio Kruger at krugera@sutterhealth.org.