Being the head of the department of philosophy at Lingnan University is both a privilege and a pleasure.

It’s a privilege for several reasons. First, the department is one of the very best in Asia, when it comes to research in analytic philosophy. It’s only necessary to look at the stellar publication record of our department, in order to see this. We publish in the finest general philosophical journals – such as Australasian Journal of Philosophy, Mind, Philosopher’s Imprint, Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, and Noûs – and in the preeminent journals in specific philosophical sub-fields, like British Journal for the Philosophy of Science and Ethics. Second, we achieve this research excellence while doing more teaching – on average, around 5 courses each per year – than many philosophers in competing research-intensive institutions. And we excel in our teaching too!

Given all the hard work going on, one might expect the department to be a sombre place. But it’s far from being that. And this brings me to why being head is a pleasure. The department is populated by jovial and generous souls, who work harmoniously in order to further common goals: educational, philosophical, and pastoral. Without a doubt, this is the friendliest environment that I’ve worked in. And it’s also thriving. Philosophers from all over the world visit us regularly, in order to present papers at our seminars, and we typically organise several international conferences each year. We also have a growing community of international postgraduate students, many of whom hold prestigious Hong Kong PhD Fellowships.

In summary, we strive for excellence and regularly achieve it. And we do this as a team. That’s what makes philosophy at Lingnan special.

Professor Darrell P. Rowbottom
HEAD, DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY