[Harvard-CUHK Online Symposium] Mapping the Horizons of Global Bioethics for Education, Research, and Practice: Reflections for the Future (10 December 2025)
Symposium Recap
🌏 3 Sessions. 2 Centers. 1 Shared Vision.
The joint Harvard-CUHK Online Symposium, “Mapping the Horizons of Global Bioethics for Education, Research, and Practice: Reflections for the Future,” concluded as a resounding success, serving as a fitting finale to a landmark year of international collaboration. Held in December 2025, this milestone event represented a powerful convergence of minds. Scholars and practitioners from across the globe united with a single, dedicated objective: charting practical, sustainable routes for the future of global bioethics.
🤝 From Dialogue to Direction: The 2025 Journey
The year 2025 marked a historic intersection for our institutions as both the Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics and CUHK Centre for Bioethics celebrated our respective 10th anniversaries. Standing in solidarity to navigate the growing complexities of global bioethics, our joint efforts throughout the year beautifully turned dialogue into direction:
- In June 2025: We initiated our foundational collaboration by connecting diverse voices — purposefully engaging Asian and Western perspectives to build deep mutual understanding and cross-cultural respect.
- In December 2025: That foundational dialogue was transformed into an actionable roadmap, mapping the horizons that will guide global bioethical education, research, and practice for years to come.
🙏 An Expression of Gratitude
True systemic impact is born from meaningful partnership and intellectual dedication. We extend our deepest gratitude to Dr. Rebecca Weintraub BRENDEL and the entire team at the Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics for co-creating this invaluable platform with us. We also thank our panel of international experts who brought their sharp insights to the table and helped chart this vital path forward.
🎥 Symposium Videos & Social Media
Missed the live event or wish to revisit the discussions? Explore the session highlights and full video recordings below.
About the Symposium
For reference, the original event overview and programme details are preserved below:
The online symposium “Mapping the Horizons of Global Bioethics for Education, Research, and Practice: Reflections for the Future” brings the June 2025 Harvard–CUHK Joint International Symposium back into focus — this time to turn horizons into routes.
Three June speakers return as moderators, cueing curated highlight snippets from the June symposium to spark fresh dialogue with new discussants and real-time input from participants across the Americas and Asia–Pacific. The goal is practical: to translate June insights into actionable priorities that shape what we teach, what we study, and how we practice in global bioethics.
The symposium is organized around three guiding questions:
- Education: As bioethics goes global, what should we teach and how do we engage learners?
- Research: If we take “global” seriously, what should the research agenda look like?
- Practice: How do global perspectives and engagement shape relevance, impact, and learning in clinical bioethics
Date & Time 📆: | (Eastern Time) Tuesday, 9 December 2025, 8:00 – 10:00 pm ; |
Mode🎙️: | Zoom Webinar 🎦 |
Explore the foundational materials, milestones, and media from the June international symposium below:
Programme & Speakers
9:00 – 9:05 am (5 minutes)
Welcome Address
Dr. Ann Sin Nga LAU
Co-Director, CUHK Centre for Bioethics, Hong Kong SAR, China
9:05 – 9:10 am (5 minutes)
Opening Remarks and June Symposium Highlights
Dr. Rebecca Weintraub BRENDEL
Director, Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics, USA
Professor Roger Yat-nork CHUNG
Co-Director, CUHK Centre for Bioethics, Hong Kong SAR, China
9:10 – 9:45 am (35 minutes)
Click the poster to view the original session overview and discussion questions:
Global Bioethics Education:
As bioethics goes global, what should we teach and how should we engage learners?
Moderator: | Discussants: | |
Dr. Rebecca Weintraub BRENDEL | Dr. Michael DUNN | Dr. Mildred Z. SOLOMON |
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Connecting to June Symposium
9:45 – 10:20 am (35 minutes)
Click the poster to view the original session overview and discussion questions:
Global Bioethics Research:
If we take the notion of global bioethics seriously, what should the research agenda look like?
Moderator: | Discussants: | |
Professor Roger Yat-nork CHUNG | Professor Dong DONG | Dr. Unini ODAMA |
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Connecting to June Symposium
10:20 – 10:55 am (35 minutes)
Click the poster to view the original session overview and discussion questions:
Global Bioethics in Practice:
How do global perspectives and engagement shape relevance, impact, and learning in clinical bioethics?
Moderator: | Discussants: | |
Dr. Hui Siu TAN | Professor Emmanuel Hei Lok CHEUNG | Ms. Hillary CHUA |
 |  |  |
Connecting to June Symposium
10:55 – 11:00 am (5 minutes)
Closing Segment
Symposium Wrap-up
- Dr. Rebecca Weintraub BRENDEL
Director, Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics, USA - Professor Roger Yat-nork CHUNG
Co-Director, CUHK Centre for Bioethics, Hong Kong SAR, China
Final Closing Remarks
- Dr. Ann Sin Nga LAU
Co-Director, CUHK Centre for Bioethics, Hong Kong SAR, China
11:00 am
End of Symposium
Symposium Co-organizers
The Center for Bioethics brings together the rich intellectual resources across Harvard Medical School and Harvard University, along with colleagues and institutions worldwide, to help ensure that scientific progress, medical therapeutics, and health care practices are developed hand-in-hand with reflection upon the profound moral questions raised by advances in the life sciences and biotechnology. Our mission is executed through education, research, and service, with programs that prepare the next generation of practitioners and leaders in bioethics, conduct normative and empirical research to address bioethical questions in clinical care, research, and public policy, and engage the public in understanding and addressing ethical aspects of health care and biotechnology.
CUHK Centre for Bioethics at the Faculty of Medicine (CU Medicine) is dedicated to advancing education, research, and engagement in bioethics. Located in Hong Kong, where Eastern and Western traditions converge, the Centre fosters cross-cultural dialogue and interdisciplinary collaboration to address the ethical challenges posed by modern science and technology.
Committed to shaping future health practitioners and biomedical scientists with a strong foundation in biomedical ethics, the Centre promotes broader bioethical awareness across professions and communities. It endeavours to contribute meaningfully to the global discourse on bioethics and navigate the ethical challenges arising from the evolving landscape of science and biomedicine, ensuring that progress is guided by values central to humanity, such as compassion, justice, and respect for life.