HKEL is actively recruiting research fellows and affiliates working on high-impact areas of ethics, including the ethics of labor and work, emerging technology, politics, and more. If you’re interested in working with us, or would like to find out more about the research and engagement support we can offer, please get in touch by reaching out to the lab directly or to a particular research fellow or member of the steering committee (see below).

Steering Committee


Dr. Justin Tiwald

Professor Tiwald coordinates research on comparative approaches to specific issues in practical ethics, and organizes interdisciplinary workshops on specific issues in moral psychology and on East Asian political thought. He is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Hong Kong.

Dr. Brian Wong

Professor Wong’s research examines the intersection of geopolitics, political and moral philosophy, and technology, with particular interests in the ethics and dynamics of authoritarian regimes and their foreign policies, responding to historical and colonial injustices, and the impact of automation on labour and human societies. He is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the University of Hong Kong and a Fellow in the Centre on Contemporary China and the World at HKU.

Dr. Nathaniel Sharadin

Professor Sharadin works on a range of normative issues, including the ethical impact of machine learning systems and normative issues in epistemology. He is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the University of Hong Kong and a Research Affiliate at the Center for AI Safety.


Research Fellows


Dr. Herman Cappelen (senior research fellow, language and politics)

Professor Cappelen coordinates research on ethical and political issues involving language. He is a Chair Professor of Philosophy at the University of Hong Kong.

Dr. Boris Babic (senior research fellow, formal ethics)

Professor Babic coordinates research on rational choice, decision theory, and game theory. He is an HKU100 Associate Professor with co-appointments in the Faculty of Law, Philosophy, and the Institute of Data Science at the University of Hong Kong.

Dr. Rachel Sterken (senior research fellow, ethics)

Professor Sterken coordinates research on ethics, language, and communication. She is an Associate Professor of Philosophy, Chair of the Department of Philosophy, and Associate Dean in the Faculty of Arts.