Conflict of interest

A conflict of interest is a situation in which a third party suspects that a fair and appropriate judgment is being hindered due to a clash between social responsibilities (research, education, medical practice, etc.) and external economic interests. Universities are required to fulfill their mission of returning the results of their research to society and must actively promote industry-academia collaboration, but on the other hand, in collaboration with profit-making companies, a conflict of interest arises in the form of a clash between social responsibility and the pursuit of profit.

The existence of a conflict of interest does not necessarily mean that it is a problem. Even if some kind of conflict of interest exists, the problem can be resolved by appropriately disclosing information to third parties and ensuring the reliability and safety of industry-academia collaboration activities. Therefore, researchers must properly self-declare any conflicts of interest they may have to those involved in the research (such as collaborators in the research and those who will benefit from the research results).

Conflict of interest management refers to the management (guidance) of correct and appropriate management in order to prevent conflicts of interest from developing into serious situations. Our university has established the "Hyogo Medical University Conflict of Interest Management Regulations" and established a Conflict of Interest Management Committee to provide advice and education to faculty and staff on appropriate management. The purpose of management is to ensure social trust in the university and faculty and staff, as well as to create an environment in which industry-academia-government collaboration activities can be carried out with peace of mind.