Dr. Alexandra Kaiser-Duliba: Award for groundbreaking nursing research!

Dr. Alexandra Kaiser-Duliba: Award for groundbreaking nursing research!

On July 2, 2025, Dr. Alexandra Kaiser-Duliba was awarded the renowned “Cardinal Weather Prize of the Catholic Academy in Bavaria”. The prize is endowed with 1,500 euros and is awarded annually for outstanding work in the “Young Theology” category. Kaiser-Duliba receives the honor for her dissertation with the title: "Personalized - Depersonalized. Ethical assessment of the use of robotics and artificial intelligence in nursing based on Paul Ricœur's person concept."

Her work makes a significant contribution to the theological and ethical discussion about the implementation of new technologies in care. Her work portrays care as a deeply human act that must respect the dignity and integrity of the individual. The dissertation critically examines how robotics and artificial intelligence can change the relationships between nurses and those in need of care, drawing on Paul Ricœur's concept of the person.

Supervision and publication

The dissertation of Dr. Kaiser-Duliba was led by Prof. Dr. Alexis Fritz (moral theology) and Prof. Dr. Udo Lehmann (social ethics) from the University of Saarbrücken supervised. In addition, the work has been published by the renowned Nomos publishing house and is considered an important argument in the current discussion about the integration of technology into everyday care.

The Cardinal Wetter Prize was established in 2008 to honor Cardinal Friedrich Wetter, a prominent supporter of theology and protector of the Catholic Academy in Bavaria. The selection process for the prize takes place in close cooperation with the Catholic theological faculties of the Bavarian universities and the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt.

Ethical challenges of robotics in care

In the context of the discussion about Dr. Kaiser-Duliba's dissertation includes the publication “Robots in Nursing: Ethical Requirements in the (Nursing) Scientific Discourse,” which is discussed in the journal Nursing Science. The authors Frommeld and Weber highlight ethical criteria for the use of robots in care and name several dimensions that should be taken into account during implementation. This involves aspects such as justice, privacy, autonomy, care and security.

The analysis shows a significant ethical deficit: the existing systems are often not sufficiently oriented towards the needs of the users. This underlines the relevance of Dr. Kaiser-Duliba's work, which not only provides the theoretical basis for evaluating these technological developments, but could also have practical implications for nursing staff and the quality of care.

The ceremonial awarding of the prize to Dr. Alexandra Kaiser-Duliba will take place on November 10, 2025. She is the 16th winner of the “Prize for Young Theology”, which in recent years has also included scientists such as Prof. Dr. Marco Benini (2016) and Dr. Florian Bruckmann (2010) were awarded.

Further information can be found on the pages of the Catholic Academy in Bavaria, the Samerberger Nachrichten and Nursing Science.