[Illegal professional conflict of interest from the viewpoint of university research]

The problem of illegal donations in favour of a medical faculty is complex since there exists a multi-layered network between the sponsors (public, private, industrial etc.) and the recipients (institutions, private persons, groups). The fields of interests are of course heterogeneous. The university needs the donation to perform research, the industry supports medicine to co-operate on the new development of drugs, techniques etc., the country needs both since otherwise there will be no innovative new products and thus no modern new jobs etc. to regulate these interactions, there are many regulations and decrees which may contradict each other. Transparency is the matter of cure, at least for medical universities. This means that all donations should be processed by accounts of the university or associated foundations. This should be open to the public that no inappropriate advantage can be taken personally. The University Hospital Charité for example has announced clear regulations for the scientists which they can follow easily to avoid unintended mistakes. It must be clarified to for the sponsors and the public that the financial support is clearly directed to stimulate and improve science--only this justifies our research work.