On (Derek) Tai

2026 McCall MacBain Scholar

McGill Faculty of Engineering, MUP, Urban Planning

Education:

Chinese University of Hong Kong (BA'20, MPhil'23)

Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong S.A.R.

Derek works as a researcher at a university and at a non-governmental organization. Having found joy in creative and critical thinking during debate team activities, he earned two degrees in Philosophy from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and wrote his master’s thesis on the causes of epistemic injustice.

Derek managed an election campaign for a Hong Kong Legislative Council candidate in 2020 and served as a civil society correspondent for Amnesty International. He volunteers with an independent research group studying Hong Kong’s urban development and hosts an idea-sharing series. During his undergraduate studies, Derek served as an elected CUHK Student Senator, coached a debate team, and organized events for the philosophy society.

Derek will enter the Master of Urban Planning program at McGill University. He hopes to explore how development strategies can address or exacerbate systemic inequalities.