About us
IIUM Research Ethics Committee (IREC) was established to safeguard the interests, rights, dignity, welfare, health and wellbeing of patients and research participants. In doing so, IREC help to promote high ethical standards in patient care, professional education, clinical research, and community interests. IREC, formerly known as ethics committee, was first established in 2004. The name was later changed to IREC in February 2012 to reflect its role as the University’s ethics committee and this was endorsed by the highest authority of the university. Its mandate, on behalf of the University, is to protect the rights and welfare of human participants who take part in research conducted under the auspices of the University. IREC has the duty to provide guidance to researchers and to ensure that research involving persons is carried out safely with considered consent and respect to autonomy and privacy of the subjects, with principles of distributive justice and in accordance with the ethical principles.
SCOPE
2.1 The IREC’s mandate, on behalf of the University, is to protect the rights and welfare of human participants who take part in research conducted under the auspices of the University.
2.2 The IREC has the duty to provide guidance to researchers and to ensure that research involving persons is carried out safely, and with considered consent and respect to autonomy and privacy of the subjects, and with principles of distributive justice, and in accordance with the ethical principles.
2.3 To ensure that research is be based on valid science, risks must be commensurate with benefit to the individual, and commercial or political influence must not corrupt the progress of research for the benefit of humanity, and the advancement of knowledge.
2.4 The IREC will be guided in its reflection, advice, and decision by:
2.4.1 Conforming to the ethical principles set out in the Declaration of Helsinki (Adopted by the 18th World Medical Assembly, Helsinki, Finland, June 1964, and subsequent amendments and clarifications till 60th WMA General Assembly, Fortaleza, Brazil October 2013) ensuring the safety of the persons taking part in research, proper informed consent, respect to autonomy, ensure the privacy of the subjects and follow principles of distributive justice.
2.4.2 Adherence to the Malaysian Good Clinical Practice Guidelines (Third Edition 2011) issued by the Ministry of Health, Malaysia.
2.4.3 Adherence to International Ethical Guidelines for e.g. the International Ethical Guideline for Health-related Research Involving Human, Council for International Organization of Medical Science (CIOMS), Geneva 2016.
2.4.4 The vision and mission of the IIUM.
MISSION STATEMENT
The Research Ethics Committee hold the responsibility in the protection of the rights, dignity, health, safety, well-being and privacy of research subjects and the protection of the environment. It is also concerned with the protection of its researchers, their health, safety, rights and academic freedom, and the protection of its reputation of International Islamic University Malaysia as an institution in which research, is of high quality and properly conducted.