Join us on APRIL 17, 5:30 – 7:30 PM (Pacific) at HUB 340. Dinner served. IN-PERSON ONLY.
RSVP Required: tinyurl.com/RSVPPortofLies
Watch the television series online: tinyurl.com/PortofLiesSeries
Taiwanese drama series are more than just entertainment—they reflect, critique, and engage with pressing socio-political issues. This roundtable brings together an interdisciplinary panel to explore the intersection of media, policy, and society through the lens of Port of Lies, a recent Taiwan drama that delves into themes of migration, labor, oppression, and environmental justice.
Featuring YiCai Hsiao 蕭以采 (a social worker based in Taiwan), Wen-Ning Chang 張文寧 (with expertise in ocean policy and ocean governance), Yi-Yu Lai 賴奕諭 (specializing in Indigenous activisms and Indigenous politics), the discussion will examine how the series navigates complex real-world issues, from maritime governance and human trafficking to the lived experiences of marginalized communities. How do fictional narratives shape public perceptions of these urgent topics? What role does media play in advocating for policy change? Join us for a thought-provoking conversation at the crossroads of storytelling and social reality.
Speakers
Wen-Ning Chang 張文寧 is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Marine Affairs and Resource Management, National Taiwan Ocean University, where she teaches international law of the sea, ocean policy, and ocean governance, with a focus on addressing challenges posed by climate change.
YiCai Hsiao 蕭以采 has worked at the Serve the People Association for eight years and currently serves as the Director of asylum centers for Indonesia migrant workers
Born and raised in Taiwan, Yi-Yu Lai 賴奕諭 has been studying Indigenous activisms and the cross-border relationships between Indigenous Taiwanese and the Indigenous peoples in the Cordillera of the Philippines since 2014. His works center on Indigenous politics, political violence, and conflict resolutions. He finished his BA in Anthropology at the National Taiwan University, where he also completed his MA in Anthropology. At present, Lai is a PhD candidate in Anthropology at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa.
Sponsored by the UW Taiwan Studies Arts & Culture Program and the Taiwanese Graduate Student Association.
