David Chen is a PhD candidate in Philosophy at the University of Sheffield. He studies American pragmatism, with a focus specifically on Hu Shih and John Dewey. While Hu is widely recognised as a key intellectual leader in the Chinese New Culture Movement, few recognise him as a philosopher or see the role of pragmatism in the movement. His project will establish a revised account of Hu's philosophy, contextualising it in Chinese history.

His forthcoming book, Thinking and Problems, draws on his earlier research and reconsiders Dewey's thinking method in contemporary contexts in both China and the West. He is also committed to social impact and served for three years as Deputy Chief Editor of The Philosophy of Problems (University Research Centre blog).

He is passionate about teaching. Philosophy has played a significant role in his own life, reshaping his path from event planning to philosophy and Deweyan pragmatism. He is committed to learning through doing and to the conviction that one of life's most sacred responsibilities is to learn to think well. He supported three mature students to pass the national postgraduate entrance examination and return to higher education in China.

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