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Building for joy through philosophy and technology
31 Mar 2026
Professor Rachel Siow Robertson, Assistant Professor from the Academy of Chinese, History, Religion and Philosophy, has been named the recipient of HKBU's 2025/26 General Education Teaching Award (Early Career), in recognition of her work related to philosophy, technology and digital ethics. Trained in philosophy and well-versed in theology, Professor Robertson believes that HKBU offers unparalleled space for transdisciplinary teaching. “HKBU brings together disciplines that are usually separate,” she explains. “It feels like home for my research and teaching.”
Learning to ask good questions with philosophy
Students often approach philosophy with a sense of nervousness, intimidated by its reputation of needing to remember “big words”. Professor Robertson acknowledges this challenge and shares an alternative perspective. “Philosophy helps you ask good questions, gives you the tools and helps you come up with systematic answers. Students who do well are those who are curious. They remain undaunted and instead take the time to decipher the meaning behind these ‘big words’.” Through the General Education courses offered by the Academy of Chinese, History, Religion and Philosophy, students are free to explore which Eastern or Western philosophers resonate best with them.
Professor Robertson’s teaching philosophy centres on the concept of joy, a critical element in philosophy. In her work, she explores how technology can support individuals in the community to “rejoice and flourish together”.
“The mindless scrolling in the digital world can be numbing, which is the exact opposite of joy,” she says. “It is also essential to distinguish joy, which is a lasting, moral experience, from fleeting happiness. When our experiences are aligned with our values, we create the conditions for genuine joy.”
Creating positive user experiences with technology
In collaboration with the Department of Computing at Goldsmiths, University of London, Professor Robertson has published a paper evaluating how a joy-focused UX framework can create a positive user experience. Not surprisingly, the positive experience investigated correlates with increased adoption, retention, and task success of the framework.
While technology and generative AI have been used for social good, they have also given rise to anxiety over misinformation, bias, and concerns over people’s health and well-being. To counteract the pressures of the digital world, the notion of joy features prominently in Professor Robertson’s teaching, especially through service-learning activities that encourage students to forge meaningful relationships and create a joyful learning environment for themselves. Case in point, in the service-learning course ‘Becoming Critically Thoughtful Cyberworld Citizens’ last year, Professor Robertson connected HKBU students as mentors for high school students at Tseung Kwan O Government Secondary School. Students had the chance to discuss their hopes and fears about the digital world and how philosophy can guide their decision-making process.
“Philosophy equips students with critical thinking skills and ethical frameworks based on rules, consequences, virtue and justice, so that they are able to navigate ethical dilemmas and make morally sound decisions. Students find this pragmatic approach to philosophy empowering and are eager to share their insights with their peers and younger students,” Professor Robertson elaborates.
Drawing wisdom from faith
Last but not least, this raises the philosophical question of why the concept of joy is so central to her work. “My interest in revealing joy is drawn from my Christian faith. Given the responsibility to teach is a privilege, and I find joy in guiding my students and seeing their growth,” she reflects. Professor Robertson observes that equipped with a diverse set of transferrable skills and a transdisciplinary mindset, many philosophy students go on to pursue careers in teaching or public service.
Beyond her education initiatives, Professor Robertson is keen to collaborate with the social work sector and leverage technology to enhance the quality of life for the elderly, such as using virtual reality to keep the elderly engaged at day care centres. “We can bring joy to everyone, especially to those who are vulnerable, as they need it the most.”