Dr Derek Chan graduated from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, where he was awarded the Bachelor of Arts, Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy in Chinese Language and Literature (Aspect of Chinese Ancient Texts).

Dr Chan's research interests are Pre-Qin philosophy, Qing textual criticism and parallel passages. After completing his Master of Philosophy degree, Dr Chan served as a research assistant of the project "The Governing Principles of Ancient China". He has attended several conferences in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan; he also published papers in refereed journals.

After completing his PhD Degree, Dr Chan worked as a lecturer in Hong Kong Community College and Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong, where he understood the needs of students.