Asian Bioethics Across Biotechnology: Plural Traditions, Competing Ethical Frameworks, and Emerging Governance Challenges

Asia is now one of the world's most dynamic sites of biotechnological innovation, advancing genomics, reproductive medicine, gene editing, stem cell research, synthetic biology, biobanking, precision medicine, neurotechnology, and AI-enabled biomedical research. It is also a remarkably generative site for bioethical thought. The ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) of these technologies are being worked out daily across the region's diverse moral, familial, religious, legal, and political landscapes, often in ways that the dominant frameworks of global bioethics do not fully anticipate.Much of that global conversation has been shaped by an autonomy-and-consent paradigm developed in North American and European settings. That tradition is itself internally plural, yet its individualist core is increasingly questioned for how well it captures the relational and collective realities of many Asian societies. A growing body of scholarship shows how Confucian, Buddhist, Hindu, Islamic, and Indigenous traditions, alongside secular and communitarian orientations, reinterpret concepts such as autonomy, justice, dignity, and social responsibility. What remains underdeveloped is the systematic integration of these plural perspectives into global ELSI debates limiting any fully contextualized understanding of how biotechnology is, and should be, governed.This Research Topic critically examines how Asian bioethical traditions inform, complicate, or challenge prevailing global ELSI frameworks in biotechnology. It seeks dialogue between normative theory and empirical research on how ethical reasoning and social practices shape the governance of emerging technologies. Contributors are invited to explore when and how distinct moral vocabularies (relational autonomy, family-centered decision-making, interdependence, public welfare, and collective responsibility) can enrich or reframe global debate.We welcome theoretical, comparative, empirical, and policy-oriented contributions addressing, but not limited to, the following:- How relational autonomy, family-centered decision-making, and collective responsibility reframe consent, justice, and dignity in genomic and biomedical innovation- Consent, privacy, ownership, and benefit-sharing for genomic data and biobanking in multicultural, multilingual, and cross-border settings- Ethical and regulatory challenges in reproductive technologies, gene editing, stem cell research, synthetic biology, and precision medicine- How international norms and oversight standards are localized, negotiated, or contested in the region, including lessons drawn from high-profile cases- Governance of algorithmic decision-making, biomedical AI, and neurotechnology within Asian regulatory and cultural contexts- Socio-religious and philosophical traditions and their implications for biotechnology regulation, public engagement, and the building of public trust- Power asymmetries and the invocation of "Asian values" in policy and regulatory debate- Indigenous data sovereignty, traditional knowledge systems, community governance, and biotechnology’s environmental dimensions.- The intersection of bioethics, law, and policy in health equity, rare diseases, and transnational research collaboration- Philosophical and methodological approaches for context-sensitive, comparative, and genuinely pluralist ELSI research.We particularly encourage contributions from scholars across Asia, including early-career researchers, and welcome interdisciplinary work spanning bioethics, law, the social sciences, the life sciences, and policy. Empirical, regulatory and conceptual submissions are equally welcome.Contributions grounded in the social sciences, humanities, law, or philosophy should be submitted to Frontiers in Sociology. Contributions anchored in genetics, genomics, or biomedical science should be submitted to Frontiers in Genetics. Both routes are equally welcome and peer-reviewed within the same section. Topic editors: Dov Greenbaum, Lingqiao Song Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/82665/asian-bioethics-across-biotechnology-plural-traditions-competing-ethical-frameworks-and-emerging-governance-challenges