Beyond Scientific Neutrality: Ethical Responsibility and Geopolitical Accountability in Public Research Institutions

In the contemporary geopolitical landscape, the view of science as a "neutral" space, detached from political and ethical implications, is increasingly being challenged by members of the scientific community. This contribution analyzes the mobilization within the Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) and other Public Research Institutions (EPRs) following the escalation of violence in Southwest Asia amid rising tensions across Eurasia and beyond.

Starting from an open letter signed by over 400 researchers and staff members, the movement demands a paradigm shift: from a passive "scientific diplomacy" to an active "ethical accountability". The proponents argue that research institutions have a direct responsibility in the construction of a democratic society that respects human rights and international law. The mobilization specifically addresses the contradictions of maintaining cooperation agreements with institutions directly or indirectly involved in documented violations of international humanitarian law, particularly in the context of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Key issues raised include the need for:

Ethical Procurement and Due Diligence: Implementing protocols to prevent complicity with entities involved in conflicts condemned by the UN.

Institutional Accountability: Challenging the disparity in institutional responses to different global conflicts (e.g., Ukraine vs. Palestine).

Individual Conscience: Proposing the inclusion of "conscientious objection" for researchers regarding dual-use projects or collaborations with ethically compromised entities.

Scientific monitoring and long-term analysis: Using scientific expertise to monitor the direct effects of war and analyze its long-term consequences. This includes assessing the environmental legacy of conflict, such as the massive production of debris (estimated at more than 61 million tons in Gaza) and the severe contamination of soil and water resources.

Support and academic cooperation: Actively promoting collaborations, mobility, and specialization programs with academic communities (students, research groups, and faculty) in regions affected by conflict, political instability, or documented severe human rights violations, in line with the principles of international academic solidarity.

Through the lens of this institutional struggle, the presentation explores the tension between the "mission" of research entities (promotion of knowledge) and their ethical obligations as public actors. It concludes by proposing the establishment of independent Ethics Committees that go beyond "research integrity" (avoiding fraud) to ensure "research morality" (avoiding complicity). Scientific practice is never politically neutral and silence in the face of atrocities is a form of institutional connivance.