Virtual Public Conference

Virtual Public Conference - ‘Bioethics Future - Empowering Our Next Generation’

DPM Heng Swee Keat was the Guest-of-Honour (GOH) and delivered the opening address at the conference, which was attended by 400 participants including researchers, healthcare professionals, academics, students, members of the public, in addition to BAC’s overseas counterparts and international partners from Australia, Bhutan, France, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Nepal, New Zealand, Switzerland, the UK, the US and various countries from Southeast Asia. The conference featured a keynote lecture on the conference theme by Professor Paul Root Wolpe, Raymond Schinazi Distinguished Research Chair of Jewish Bioethics; Professor of Medicine, Paediatrics, Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Biological Behaviour, and Sociology; and the Director of the Center for Ethics at Emory University and also included presentations by local and international experts on three emerging areas: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Gene Editing, and Assisted Reproduction Technology (ART).

Panel discussion with keynote speaker

Artificial Intelligence (AI) panel discussion and Q&A

Click here for the Virtual Public Conference Book for conference programme, speaker biographies and their presentation abstracts.

Click here for the speaker presentation slides.

Fire-side Chat with invited Panellists

A fire-side chat on the topic of ‘BAC - Past, Present and Future’ was moderated by Associate Professor Roy Joseph, Chairman of National Medical Ethics Committee (NMEC) and BAC member. The panellists comprised Associate Professor Kenneth Mak, Director of Medical Services, MOH; Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, Chief Health Scientist, MOH; late Chief District Judge (Ret.) Richard Magnus, then BAC Chair and Prof Lee Eng Hin, current BAC Chair. The fire-side chat discussed the BAC’s history, progress and future and highlighted precision health, development of new biotherapeutics, and genome editing as key areas for the BAC to consider reviewing in future.

Fire-side Chat with panellists

Click here for the Virtual Public Conference Book for panellist biographies.

Panel Discussion with Religious Leaders

The BAC has actively consulted various religious organisations for their perspectives on ethical issues pertaining to human biomedical research over the past 20 years. For this session, the late Chief District Judge (Ret.) Richard Magnus, then BAC Chair, met with various representatives from religious organisations in Singapore to discuss the importance of interfaith dialogue in bioethical deliberations.

Moderator:
Late Chief District Judge (Ret.) Richard Magnus

Panellists:
Buddhist Fellowship
Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore
Hindu Advisory Board
Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura Council
National Council of Churches Singapore (NCCS)
Sikh Advisory Board
Singapore Buddhist Federation
Taoist Mission (Singapore)

Panel Discussion with Religious Leaders