Testimonials

Yonghui Ma, from Beijing, China is in the 3rd year of a PhD in Bioethics.

Why did you choose to study for your PhD?

“After obtaining an MA degree on Bioethics, I decided it would be fascinating to do a PhD in this subject and decided to continue studying. Besides, this field is urgent but very underdeveloped in my home country, China, and I want to contribute to the development of this subject amongst academics and also raise awareness among scientists and doctors.”

Why did you choose to study at The University of Manchester?

“Firstly, this University has a prestigious reputation in China and its international ranking has been rising. Secondly, the School of Law and iSEI (the Institute for Science, Ethics and Innovation) where I largely work have leading expertise and excellent academic performance in their fields.”

What has been the highlight of your course so far?

“The stimulating seminar series run by the School and by iSEI have been one of the most interesting and beneficial highlights of my study. The informal but heated discussions not only give me the opportunity to improve my English and boost my confidence, but inspire me a lot with my own research.”

Dr Annabelle Lever is now Associate Professor of Normative Political Theory at the University of Geneva.

“I had a wonderful time on my research fellowship... The nice thing about the institute from [a researcher’s] perspective is that it’s interdisciplinary, though with a focus on bioethics, understood in the widest possible way (as you will see from the website). You can work on international justice, feminist theory and the body, intellectual property, privacy and the storage of tissues, the arguments for and against communitarian bioethics, and the philosophy of enhancement, of human/animal relations – of war, too and dual-use technologies... And in John Harris, you will have someone who is enormous fun, full of challenging ideas, and from whom I’ve learned an immense amount. It’s a lovely, informal, but incredibly interesting place to work.”

Dr Cinara Nehra is a senior lecturer at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Brazil.

“The [year] that I spent in iSEI was one of the most productive and delightful experiences of my entire academic life. The research conditions in iSEI are exceptional, not only because of the easy access to all the main publications in the field of ethics, but especially because of the excellence of the ethical/philosophical discussions within the group. From day one I was made to feel very welcome and part of the iSEI team, and I was impressed by the camaraderie of the whole group, from the secretaries to the directors.

[At] iSEI I had the opportunity of being in an environment where new ideas are created on a normal daily basis, surrounded by open-mind people who combine the most strict academic rigour with a continuous openness for non-conventional and leading ethical thoughts. People in iSEI know that there is no innovation without debate and discussion, and they are prepared to do both in a very thorough but at the same time very friendly way.”