7 Uvodnik / Editorial The Code of Ethical Conduct of the University of Maribor On July 06, 2021 the Senate of the University of Maribor adopted the Code of Ethical Conduct of the University of Maribor. Having adopted the new document, the Code of Professional Ethics of the University of Maribor from the year 2015 and the Code of Ethics and Integrity for Researchers at the University of Maribor from the year 2017 ceased to function. The Code of Ethical Conduct is a general act of the University of Maribor, and it is binding for all the university's workers and students. The chief aim of the code is to assert the standards of conduct required of the university's community. The general principles of ethical conduct are stated to be respectful mutual communication, respect of dignity, protection of whistleblowers and non- acceptance of anonymous reports, solution of conflicts, protection of confidential pieces of information and personal data, and the need to publicly strengthen the reputation of the university. The principles also assert the need for members of the university's community to state their affiliation with the university and disclose their work outside the university and to state their attitudes towards the property of the university and towards the environment and its protection. The code especially prescribes avoidance of conflicts of interest, as they might endanger the implementation of the university's mission if they are not controlled. In the code there is a precise definition of the areas that are regarded as conflicts of interest. The code also defines the attitude required towards the acceptance of gifts, the ethical attitude required in educational work, and the ethics and integrity necessary in research work. The Senate of the University of Maribor appointed a six-member commission for a three-year term of office to oversee the workings of the code's provisions . One of the commission members was proposed by Kodeks etičnega ravnanja Univerze v Mariboru Šestega julija letos je Senat Univerze v Mariboru sprejel Kodeks etičnega ravnanja Univerze v Mariboru. S sprejemom novega dokumenta sta prenehala delovati Kodeks profesionalne etike Univerze v Mariboru iz l. 2015 in Kodeks etike in integritete za raziskovalce na Univerzi v Mariboru iz l. 2017. Kodeks etičnega ravnanja je splošni akt Univerze v Mariboru, zavezujoč za vse sodelavce in študente. Glavni namen kodeksa je uveljaviti vedenjske standarde univerzitetne skupnosti na Univerzi v Mariboru. Splošna načela etičnega ravnanja so zlasti spoštljiva medsebojna komunikacija, spoštovanje dostojanstva, zaščita žvižgačev in odklonilnost do anonimnih prijav, reševanje konfliktov, varovanje zaupnih informacij in osebnih podatkov, krepitev ugleda Univerze v Mariboru v javnosti, navajanje afiliacije, delo zunaj Univerze, odnos do premoženja Univerze, odnos do okolja in varovanje le-tega. Kodeks se še posebej opredeljuje do izogibanja nasprotju interesov, saj lahko, če niso nadzorovana, ogrozijo izvrševanje univerzitetnega poslanstva. V Kodeksu je točno opredeljeno, katera so področja, ki veljajo za konflikt interesov. Prav tako so v Kodeksu opredeljeni odnos do sprejemanja daril, etični odnos pri izobraževalnem delu in etika ter integriteta pri raziskovalnem delu. Za uveljavljanje vsebine kodeksa je Senat Univerze v Mariboru imenoval šestčlansko komisijo za mandatno dobo treh let. Eden izmed članov komisije je predlagan s strani Študentskega sveta. V komisiji so lahko le osebe, ki v preteklosti niso kršile Kodeksa etike. Naloga komisije je točno določena, slednja pa upošteva načela integritete in poštenosti. Rektor Univerze v Mariboru je imenoval zaupnika za Kodeks etike Univerze v Mariboru, ki na neformalen način svetuje sodelavcem in študentom, ima vlogo mediatorja in svetovalca, vendar ne ugotavlja obstoja kršitev. Splošna deklaracija človekovih pravic, Listina EU ACTA MEDICO–BIOTECHNICA 2021; 14 (1): 7–10 V akademskem letu 2021/22 se na Medicinski fakulteti Univerze v Mariboru začne dolgo pričakovani študij dentalne medicine The long-awaited study of dental medicine in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Maribor (the MF UM) is to begin in the 2021/22 academic year o temeljnih pravicah in Ustava RS opredeljujejo nazorsko svobodo in enakopravnost posameznika. Vsaka diskriminacija glede na narodnost, raso, spol, spolno usmerjenost, starost, veroizpoved, politično ali drugo prepričanje, gmotno stanje, rojstvo, izobrazbo, družbeni položaj, invalidnost, telesne ali psihične lastnosti in omejitve, socialno ali regionalno poreklo ali katerokoli osebno okoliščino, je nesprejemljiva. Vsi na Univerzi v Mariboru, tako zaposleni kakor študenti, zastopamo enotno akademsko skupnost. Vsa nesoglasja se rešujejo z argumentirano razpravo v dobro institucije. Komunikacija temelji na spoštovanju, razumevanju, vključevanju in dopuščanju enakih možnosti. Vsi si prizadevamo prispevati k etičnemu ravnanju Univerze, in sicer znotraj Univerze in v javnosti. Okolje, v katerem delujemo, mora biti brez nadlegovanja, trpinčenja ali spolnega nadlegovanja. Konflikti se morajo reševati s pomočjo dialoga, ki je edini učinkovit način reševanja težav ne glede na vzrok. Svoboda izražanja je temeljna vrednota Univerze v Mariboru, še zlasti v odnosih z javnostjo in družbenih omrežjih. Sodelavci Univerze dosledno navajamo pripadnost Univerzi, tako pri objavi znanstvenih kot strokovnih del, pri prijavi projektov in v vseh drugih vlogah, v sklopu katerih sodelujemo kot raziskovalci. Univerzo moramo obvestiti o vseh delih, ki jih opravljamo izven matične institucije. Posebno mesto v Kodeksu zajema etični odnos pri izobraževalnem delu. Vsak študent se lahko v primeru kršitve Kodeksa obrne na zaupnika za kodeks ali na Komisijo za etiko. Izjemnega pomena sta etika in integriteta pri raziskovalnem delu. Vsi, ki smo vključeni v raziskovalno delo, smo dolžni spoštovati Evropski kodeks ravnanja za raziskovalno integriteto, ki ga je sprejela Zveza evropskih akademij. Pomembno mesto v Kodeksu zajemata avtorstvo in soavtorstvo. Avtorstvo ima pomembne akademske, družbene in finančne posledice. Vključuje odgovornost za objavljeno delo. Še posebej je v Kodeksu poudarjeno, da se raziskovalci Univerze v Mariboru ne smemo okoristiti z delom študentov in ga prikazovati kot lastno delo. Komisija za etiko Univerze v Mariboru ni pristojna za presojo etičnih vidikov znanstvenih del pred njihovo oddajo v objavo the Student Council. The commission members must not have violated the Code of Ethical Conduct in the past. The task of the commission is precisely defined, and it takes into account the principles of integrity and honesty. The chancellor of the university appointed a confidant for the code who, in an informal manner, advises the university's workers and students, has a role as a mediator and consultant, but does not determine the existence of violations. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, and the Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia define the ideological freedom and equality of the individual. Any discrimination based on a person's nationality, race, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, political or other belief, material condition, birth, education, social status, disability, physical or mental characteristics and limitations, social or regional origin, or any personal circumstance is unacceptable. All of the employees and students at the university represent a unified academic community, and they all strive to contribute to the ethical conduct of the university both within the university and in the broader public domain. All disagreements are resolved by reasoned discussion for the benefit of the institution. Communication is based on respect, understanding, integration, and the concept of equal opportunities. The environment in which the university's employees and students are active must be free of torture and sexual or other harassment. Conflicts must be solved by dialogue. This is the only effective manner of solving problems regardless of the cause. Freedom of expression is a fundamental value of the university, especially in public relations and the social media. The university's workes must consistently state their affiliation to the university in respect of the publication of scientific and professional works, in respect of their involvement in projects, and in all the other roles within which they may cooperate as researchers. They must inform the university of all the work that they do outside the home institution. The code has a special focus on the ethical attitude required in educational work. Where there is a case involving violation of the code, every student Uvodnik / EditorialUvodnik / Editorial 8 ACTA MEDICO–BIOTECHNICA 2021; 14 (1): 7–10 Uvodnik / Editorial ACTA MEDICO–BIOTECHNICA 2021; 14 (1): 7–10 9 may turn to the confidant or the commission for advice. Ethics and integrity in research work are of the utmost importance. All of the university's community who are involved in research work are obliged to respect the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity; this code has been adopted by the All European Academies (ALLEA). The place in the code that relates to authorship and co-authorship and the responsibility for published work is vital. Authorship has important academic, social, and financial consequences. It is especially stressed in the code that the university's researchers must not take credit for students' work and show it as their own work. However, the commission is not competent to assess the ethical aspects of scientific works prior to their submission for publication or for the assessment of the ethical aspects of proposals for scientific projects. The code is an important document. It's role is to strengthen the standards of ethical conduct within the university. It has to become a part of the daily routine in the realization of scientific and educational work. Full Prof. Dušica Pahor, MD, PhD, Editor-in-Chief Source references: • Code of Ethical Conduct of the University of Maribor, July 06, 2021 • All European Academies (ALLEA), European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity, Berlin 2018 • International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals, Vancouver Protocol of Authors and Co-authors Roles, December 2019 A beautiful thing is a human if one is human. (Seneca) Professor Emerita, dr. dr. h. c. Dušanka Mičetić Turk, MD oz. za presojo etičnih vidikov predlogov znanstvenih projektov pred objavo za razpis. Kodeks etičnega ravnanja Univerze v Mariboru je pomemben dokument za krepitev vedenjskih standardov na področju etičnega ravnanja znotraj Univerze in mora postati del našega vsakdana pri uresničevanju znanstvenega in pedagoškega dela. Prof. dr. Dušica Pahor, dr. med., odgovorna urednica Viri: • Kodeks etičnega ravnanja Univerze v Mariboru, 6.7.2021 • Zveza evropskih akademij (ALLEA), Evropski kodeks ravnanja za raziskovalno integriteto, Berlin 2018 • International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), Recommendattions for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals - Mednarodni odbor urednikov revij v medicini, Vancouvrski protokol o vlogi avtorjev in soavtorjev, dec. 2019. Pulchra res est homo, si homo est.      (Seneka) Človek je nekaj lepega, če je človek. Uvodnik / EditorialUvodnik / Editorial 10 ACTA MEDICO–BIOTECHNICA 2021; 14 (1): 7–10