Professor Daniel Wikler, Mary B. Saltonstall Professor of Ethics and Population Health, Emeritus, from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health will deliver a seminar entitled “Population-level Bioethics: 35 Years of Contributions to the Public’s Health” in the JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, on 30 July 2025 (Wednesday).
At the seminar, Prof. Wikler will lead the audience into the less well-known inquiry of “population-level bioethics” that has addressed issues arising in the study and amelioration of the health of populations, including but transcending issues of justice in health care systems. “Population-level bioethics” has been in dialogue with developments in global and population health for several decades and now must address the challenges of an era marked by politicized anti-science and disinformation.
As a foundational figure in the field of bioethics, Prof. Wikler served as the first Staff Ethicist for the World Health Organization and served as Staff Philosopher for the President’s Commission for the Study of Ethical Problems in Medicine and Biomedical and Behavioral Research. Prof. Wikler was co-founder and second president of the International Association of Bioethics. Please visit here to learn more about the speaker.
This seminar is co-organized by JCSPHPC and CUHK Centre for Bioethics, and will be moderated by Professor Roger Chung, Co-Director of CUHK Centre for Bioethics, and Associate Professor of JCSPHPC.
Distinguished Seminar on Global Public Health:Prof. Daniel Wikler on 35 Years of Contributions to the Public’s Health | |
Date & Time: | 11:00am – 12:30pm (HKT) , 30 July 2025 (Wednesday) |
Venue: | G/F, School of Public Health Building Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin |
Topic: | Population-level Bioethics: 35 Years of Contributions to the Public’s Health |
Speaker: | Professor Daniel I. WiklerMary B. Saltonstall Professor of Ethics and Population Health, Emeritus Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
(Click the photo to see the Biography)
Professional experience:
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Moderator: | Professor Roger ChungCo-Director, CUHK Centre for Bioethics Associate Professor, JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, CUHK
(Click the photo to see the Biography) |
Registration: | Register now← (Deadline: 29 July 2025 (Tuesday) at 12 noon, HKT)
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Seminar Abstract: | Bioethics has developed from its origins in professional codes of conduct to dilemmas of clinical practice, issues in research with human subjects, and uses of new biotechnology. A less well-known inquiry has addressed issues arising in the study and amelioration of the health of populations, including but transcending issues of justice in health care systems. “Population-level bioethics” has been in dialogue with developments in global and population health over several decades; and now must take up the challenges of an era of politicized anti-science and disinformation. |
[Event Recap]
The joint seminar by JCSPHPC and CUHK Centre for Bioethics, featuring Professor Daniel WIKLER (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health), was a great success on July 30!
Professor WIKLER shared a “birds-eye” view of population-level bioethics, emphasizing health (not just care) and key determinants such as environment, social structure, and workplace safety. He highlighted that health decisions are social and governmental factors, not just clinical ones, and explored global, trans-generational ethical issues that are often overlooked.
Key Highlights:
· Beyond Healthcare: The “Bird’s-Eye” Framework
· Unseen Ethical Dimensions
· Reimagining Inequality
Why It Matters:
Professor WIKLER’s 35-year legacy reframes bioethics as:
· A tool for examining systemic health determinants
· A language for governmental accountability
· A framework for inter-generational justice
Moderated by our Centre Co-Director, Prof. Roger Chung, the session included dynamic discussions about the potential application of these principles to Asian and Hong Kong public health contexts.
This seminar provided a valuable opportunity for attendees to gain insights from a leader in global bioethics and to explore how ethical frameworks can shape the future of public health. It also contributed to the ongoing dialogue on population-level bioethics and its impact on public health worldwide.
