Humanities Philosophy

As Japan moves closer to becoming the first nation to allow research on human embryos created from lab-grown sperm and eggs, a leading bioethicist at Hiroshima University has cautioned against the widening gap between rapid scientific advances and slower pace of ethical and societal deliberation.

New study argues standard forms of consent for cell donations would not be appropriate for this line of research

The Asia-Pacific Institute of Ageing Studies (APIAS) at Lingnan University celebrated its "Life Story and Epitaph" project with an opening ceremony for the Epitaph Exhibition on 10 October 2025. The event brought together nearly 70 participants included older adults from three community centres in Tuen Mun and Kowloon City, Lingnan University students, and members of the public.

Japanese scholars submit a nuanced view linking diverse disability experiences

The five-day 12th South-South Forum on Sustainability, hosted by the Chinese Institute of Hong Kong and co-organised by the Centre for Cultural Research and Development of Lingnan University, the Global University for Sustainability, the Centre for Film Studies and Cultural Studies of Peking University, and the Tsinghua Institute for Advanced Study in Humanities and Social Sciences of Tsinghua University, and coordinated locally by the Shangyou County People’s Government, is currently being held in Shangyou County, Ganzhou City, Jiangxi Province, China, the first time the Forum has taken place in Jiangxi.

The stem cell-based embryo model and actual human embryos share many characteristics but are distinctly different. However, internationally, not everyone agrees on the definitions and what we should and should not do in using this research model.

Examines how patient voices impact decision-making

Hong Kong has one of the fastest-ageing populations in the world. Since the beginning of this year, a volunteer team of staff and students from Lingnan University has been involved in community care “Embracing Ageing: The Project on Community Support for Seniors”, to show their concern for the elderly in Tuen Mun and Yuen Long. The project includes four visits to over a hundred senior citizens who live alone, workshops on using smartphones, presentations by cybersecurity experts to explain the latest anti-fraud measures, and guidance on home safety precautions. Everyone came to the project’s closing ceremony on the Lingnan campus today, 15 May, and enjoyed traditional Naamyam and Cantonese opera and activities for all ages, which encourage physical and mental well-being as well as communication and unity.

With the rapid development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and increasing environmental challenges, global catastrophic risks have gone beyond traditional natural disasters to raise controversial ethical issues. In view of this, the Hong Kong Catastrophic Risk Centre (HKCRC) of Lingnan University has introduced a new, free, online bilingual self-learning course on Ethics and Global Catastrophic Risks, taught by international authorities in philosophy and ethics. Designed to help people understand and cope with the complex landscape of global disaster risks through eight modules, the new programme, launched in late February this year, incorporates in-depth, real-life examples in AI, the environment, and the sciences, and has already attracted more than 8,000 participants from Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, South Asia, the US, and Europe. It is now open to the public at no charge.

The current capabilities of large language models already qualify them to advise students on medical ethics

Prof Ruby Lai Yuen-shan, Assistant Professor of the Department of Sociology and Social Policy at Lingnan University in Hong Kong, has partnered with two Hong Kong artists, Ms Miu Law and Mr Victor Sham Chung-tat, for an interdisciplinary collaboration. Together, they have curated the exhibition “Listening to the Stories of 118.4 Square Feet”, which highlights a selection of real-life stories from residents of subdivided units.

Watching and waiting with minimal intervention forms educational philosophy guided by balance

The delegation from the Commissioner’s Office of China’s Foreign Ministry in the HKSAR visited Lingnan University yesterday (8 April). Counsellor Wang Jian, Director-General of the International Department, delivered a lecture titled "Current International Situation and China’s Diplomacy". Attended by over 100 students and faculty members, the lecture provided a comprehensive analysis of the unprecedented global changes of our time and discussed the four key aspects of China's diplomacy, including its core objectives, basic principles, significant focal points, and cooperative platforms.

Insights into ethical and legal ramifications of growing brain organoids from human fetal brain tissue

What actually happens is much weirder, and may help us understand more about quantum mechanics

Riding on the success of the previous two seminar sessions, the Distinguished Scholars Seminar Series organised by Lingnan University’s School of Graduate Studies continues with the delivery of its third seminar. The seminar series takes place between November and December 2023 and features world-renowned scholars sharing their insights and expertise on various topics.

Researchers discuss whether a "brain organoid" should be treated as a person by law, and suggest the need for legal and social discussions uncoupled from debates on consciousness.

Research performed on human blastoids, a research model of an early embryo built out of stem cells, may allow scientists to understand better what causes birth defects and lost pregnancies, and so prevent them. But such research is also ethically fraught, warn bioethicists, due to differing beliefs on whether the blastoid possesses sentience or has the potential to do so.

A special issue of Horizon Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences Research (JHSSR Vol.4 (S) Oct. 20212) is now published. This issue includes papers on the Covid-19 pandemic, developments in business and digital practices, changes in social media behavior in South Asia.

A research team has studied how humans react to the introduction of AI decision making. Specifically, they explored the question, “is society ready for AI ethical decision making?” by studying human interaction with autonomous cars.

Prof Darrell Rowbottom, Professor of the Department of Philosophy of Lingnan University (LU) in Hong Kong received “The 8th Outstanding Scientific Research Output Award (Humanities and Social Sciences) for Higher Education Institutions -- 2nd Class Award” from the Ministry of Education of the Mainland for his study about unconceived theories.

Music training does not have a positive impact on children’s cognitive skills, such as memory, and academic achievement, such as maths, reading or writing, according to a study published in Memory & Cognition.