{"id":4146,"date":"2024-05-14T17:05:08","date_gmt":"2024-05-14T17:05:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jsis.washington.edu\/taiwan\/?p=4146"},"modified":"2024-07-09T17:57:46","modified_gmt":"2024-07-09T17:57:46","slug":"uw-taiwan-studies-2023-2024-newsletter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jsis.washington.edu\/taiwan\/2024\/05\/14\/uw-taiwan-studies-2023-2024-newsletter\/","title":{"rendered":"UW Taiwan Studies 2023-2024 Newsletter"},"content":{"rendered":"

The University of Washington Taiwan Studies Program (UW-TSP) had another eventful year. Here is an overview of our events and courses from 2023, as well as a preview of what’s coming up.\u00a0 If you missed any events, we invite you to view them on<\/span> our YouTube channel<\/span><\/a>. <\/b>A complete list of events with links to YouTube videos is provided at the end of this newsletter.<\/span><\/p>\n

Upcoming Events:<\/b><\/h2>\n

Professor <\/span>Meredith Schweig<\/b> (Emory University) will join UW-TSP for a book talk on Thursday, May 16 from 3:30 to 5pm PST to discuss her latest book <\/span>Renegade Rhymes: Rap Music, Narrative, and Knowledge in Taiwan.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0 <\/span>Renegade Rhymes<\/span><\/i> invites readers into Taiwan\u2019s vibrant underground hip-hop scene to explore the social, cultural, and political dynamics of life in a post-authoritarian democracy.\u00a0 <\/span>This will be a hybrid event hosted by TSP, <\/span>RSVP on Ticketleap<\/span><\/a> to join us online or come in person to Thompson 317 for the talk.<\/span><\/p>\n

Professor\u00a0Henry Yeung<\/strong>\u00a0(National University of Singapore) will join UW-TSP for a book talk on Thursday, May 23 from 3:30 to 5pm PST to discuss his research on the highly contested and politicized nature of semiconductor global production networks since the US-China trade war and the Covid-19 pandemic. Based on his book, Interconnected Worlds: Global Electronics and Production Networks in East Asia, and his research in his Global Value Chain Development Report 2023 chapter, Dr. Yeung will provide a rich analysis of the need for strategic partnerships with technology leaders towards building national and regional resilience in the US, Western Europe, and East Asia.\u00a0RSVP on Ticketleap here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Public Events 2023-2024:<\/b><\/h2>\n

Conference: Southeast Asia and Taiwan – Politics, Aesthetics, Indigeneity<\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n

UW-TSP, the East Asia Center, and the \u00a0UW Center for Asia and its Diasporas hosted a joint two-day conference on April 25-26. \u00a0Scholars from around the world gathered to discuss the conference\u2019s themes: politics, aesthetics, and indigeneity. This two-day workshop was open to UW students, faculty, staff, and the broader community.<\/p>\n

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Conference: Chips and Chains: Trends in US-Taiwan Business<\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n

As US-China relations grow increasingly tense, Taiwan has found itself in the middle of a decoupling of the two largest economies in the world. To address this development, the East Asia Center, Foster Global Business Center, and the Taiwan Studies Program hosted a two-day conference inviting experts from academia, think tanks, journalism, and industry to discuss Taiwan and US business trends. Three panels took place discussing the semiconductor industry, supply chains, and US-Taiwan trade took place. Ryan Hass, Chen-Fu, and Cecilia Yen Koo Chair in Taiwan Studies at the Brookings Institution, gave the keynote address.<\/span><\/p>\n

Roundtable:<\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n

On November 1, 2023, we hosted a fall reception to kick-start the new academic year and afterward hosted our annual public roundtable \u201cMaking Waves: Taiwan\u2019s Presidential Election 2024.\u201d\u00a0 We gathered in HUB 337 to welcome new and returning faces to the program.\u00a0 Our guest speaker was <\/span>Kharis Templeman<\/b> (Hoover Institution), followed by presentations from our own TSP members <\/span>Ellen Chang, David Bachman, and James Lin<\/b> on the topic of Taiwan\u2019s upcoming presidential election and the Taiwanese Netflix show <\/span>Wave Makers<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0 Find their remarks <\/span>here<\/span><\/a> or on our YouTube channel. Following this discussion, on December 14th, 2023, Ellen Chang interviewed Kharis Templeman (Hoover Institution) on the Taiwanese 2024 Presidential election race. This interview is published on YouTube<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Book Talks:<\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n

Professor\u00a0Wendy Cheng<\/strong>\u00a0(Scripps College) joined UW-TSP as part of our book talk series on Wednesday, April 24 from 3:30 to 5 pm PST to discuss her latest book Island X: Taiwanese Student Migrants, Campus Spies, and Cold War Activism<\/em>. Raising questions about historical memory and Cold War circuits of power,\u202fIsland X<\/em> \u202fis a testament to the lives and advocacy of a generation of Taiwanese American activists.<\/p>\n

On March 6, 2024, we welcomed Professor <\/span>Niki Alsford<\/b> (University of Central Lancashire) to discuss his newest release <\/span>Taiwan Lives: A Social and Political History<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0 Alsford\u2019s book is the first in our new scholarly publication <\/span>Taiwan and the World<\/span><\/a> in partnership with UW Press.\u00a0 The second book in the series will be <\/span>Good Wife, Wise Mother<\/span><\/i> by <\/span>Fang Yu Hu<\/b>, and the editors are our own UW Jackson school faculty <\/span>James Lin, William Lavely, and Madeleine Yue Dong<\/b>.\u00a0 Please stay tuned for updates! <\/span>In <\/span>Taiwan Lives<\/span><\/i>, Alsford provides a comprehensive exploration of the island\u2019s intricate past by recounting the life stories of its inhabitants.\u00a0 You can find the conversation on our <\/span>YouTube channel @UWTaiwanStudies<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

On February 7, 2024, we welcomed Professor <\/span>Ian Rowen<\/b> (National Taiwan Normal University) to discuss his book <\/span>One China, Many Taiwans: The Geopolitics of Cross-Strait Tourism.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0 Based on an ethnographic study, Rowen argues in his book that contrary to the PRC\u2019s efforts to incorporate Taiwan as part of an undivided \u201cOne China,\u201d tourism aggravated tensions between the two polities, and pushed Taiwanese sentiment further toward support for national self-determination.\u00a0 You can <\/span>watch Rowen\u2019s presentation<\/span><\/a> on our YouTube channel @UWTaiwanStudies.<\/span><\/p>\n

On January 17, 2024, we welcomed policy director <\/span>Bonnie Glaser<\/b> (German Marshall Fund) to discuss her book <\/span>U.S.-Taiwan Relations: Will China\u2019s Challenge Lead to a Crisis?\u00a0 <\/span><\/i>This book talk addressed the rising Chinese military pressure and the intensifying gray-zone campaign tactics (economic coercion, disinformation, diplomatic pressure) that threaten Taiwan.\u00a0 You can <\/span>view Glaser\u2019s presentation here<\/span><\/a> or follow us on our YouTube channel @UWTaiwanStudies.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On October 12, 2023, we welcomed Professor <\/span>Janet Chen<\/b> (Princeton University) to discuss her book <\/span>The Sounds of Mandarin: Learning to Speak a National Language in China and Taiwan, 1913-1960.\u00a0 The Sounds of Mandarin <\/span><\/i>traces the surprising social history of a spoken standard, from its creation as the national language of the early Republic in 1913 to its journey to postwar Taiwan, and its reconfiguration as the \u201ccommon language\u201d of the People\u2019s Republic after 1946.\u00a0 You can <\/span>view Chen\u2019s recorded talk<\/span><\/a> on our YouTube channel @UWTaiwanStudies.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

UW-TSP Arts and Culture Program:<\/b><\/h2>\n

Performing Arts:<\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n

On February 25 and 26, 2023, the UW Taiwan Studies Arts & Culture Program and the Seattle Festival Orchestra hosted the \u201cTriumph\u201d in-person music concert at Town Hall Seattle. The concert featured the US Premiere of Taiwanese composer Ching-Mei Lin\u2018s Paean for Warrior and Love, inspired and adapted from songs of Taiwan\u2019s Indigenous Rukai (Drekay) followed by Beethoven\u2019s glorious Symphony No. 7 in A major. To finish out the concert, the young emerging Taiwanese American pianist Karina Tseng (\u912d\u4f73\u8389) performed Rachmaninoff\u2019s powerful Piano Concerto No. 2. With this concert, the orchestra celebrated not only triumphant music but also some of the great gifts that Taiwan continues to offer classical music.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The UW Taiwan Studies Arts & Culture Program hosted its first-ever kids program on April 15 and 22, 2023, Pangcah (\u2018Amis) Kids Storytime & Workshop. During the storytime session, the book titled \u201cLOKOT: the Fish that Lived in a Tree\u201d showcasing the cultural stories of one of the 16 indigenous communities of Taiwan, the Pangcah (\u2018Amis) people, was read. At the workshop session, our young attendees learned the history and cultural significance of the \u2018alofo (lover\u2019s bags) that are made by the Pangcah (\u2018Amis) People. Attendees had an opportunity to take a close look at the \u2018alofo hand-crafted by our instructor, Chu-mei Lin, as she introduced the process of making \u2018alofo and how they are used at ceremonies and as everyday accessories. After learning everything about these \u2018alofos, attendees customized their built their own \u2018alofos.<\/span><\/p>\n

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In partnership with Town Hall Seattle, the UW Taiwan Studies Arts & Culture Program co-hosted renowned jazz bassist Richie Goods and rising star vibraphonist Chien Chien Lu for the West Coast premiere of their collaborative album, \u201cConnected.\u201d Joined by Matt Wong on keys, Quintin Zoto on guitar, and Jerome Jennings on drums.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Film Screening:<\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n

The UW Taiwan Studies Arts & Culture Program was thrilled to host a special screening of Chen Hui-Ling\u2019s documentary film, A Letter to A\u2019ma \u7d66\u963f\u5abd\u7684\u4e00\u5c01\u4fe1 (2021), on March 29, 2023 at the Northwest Film Forum. In A Letter to A\u2019ma, Taiwanese art teacher\/filmmaker Hui-Ling returns to her childhood home to mourn the passing of her grandmother. As she pieces together the fragmented memories of her youth, she finds herself coming face-to-face with the problematic issue of her country\u2019s fractured history. Through a student art project guided by this teacher that has lasted for over a decade, a representational portrait of the island\u2019s collective memory begins to emerge, initiating a process in which Taiwan, an island nation forgotten by the world and in the midst of forgetting itself after centuries of colonization and decades of dictatorship, can now remember its past and re-envision its postcolonial identity through art. The screening was followed by a Q&A session with Director Chen, moderated by Neve Lin.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The UW Taiwan Studies Arts & Culture Program presented the memorial film screening and lecture honoring Dr. Hu Tai-Li a pioneer of ethnographic documentaries of Taiwan on April 18, 2023, at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. In memory of Dr. HU Tai-Li, the evening featured an in-person screening of the first Taiwanese ethnographic film, \u201cThe Return of Gods and Ancestors,\u201d by Dr. Hu, and a lecture by Professor Scott Simon on Dr. Hu\u2019s work and the influence of her pioneering ethnographic documentary practice in Taiwan. Following this screening, UW Taiwan Studies Arts & Culture Program hosted an exhibit, \u201cEncountering Hu Tai-Li: The Anthropologist Behind the Camera,\u201d in memory of Dr. Hu. The exhibit was a visual tour of Dr. Hu\u2019s ethnographic films and publications. Each of her films was paired with pieces of reflection written by Dr. Hu and QR codes that directed viewers to our online film series and the UW Library Resources for further exploration.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The UW Taiwan Studies Arts & Culture Program hosted a screening of Laha Mebow\u2019s award-winning film, GAGA \u54c8\u52c7\u5bb6 (2022), on May 22, 2023. GAGA is a heartwarming story at the joint effort of <\/span>Do You Love Me As I Love You<\/span><\/i> producer Eric Liang, <\/span>Your Name Engraved Herein<\/span><\/i> producer Arthur Chu, and the Taipei Film Awards Best Director winner Laha Mebow (for Lokah Laqi). GAGA portrays the new generation\u2019s connections and complexes to families and lands in a unique way. It\u2019s the most touching and beautiful movie in 2022.<\/span><\/p>\n

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In partnership with the UW East Asia Center, the Taiwanese Association of Greater Seattle, and the Seed Kite Foundation, the UW Taiwan Studies Arts & Culture Program hosted an in-person screening of Invisible Nation (2023) on the UW campus. With unprecedented access to Taiwan\u2019s sitting head of state, director Vanessa Hope investigates the election and tenure of Tsai Ing-wen, the first female president of Taiwan. Thorough, incisive, and bristling with tension, Invisible Nation is a living account of Tsai\u2019s tightrope walk as she balances the hopes and dreams of her nation between the colossal geopolitical forces of the U.S. and China. Hope\u2019s restrained observational style captures Tsai at work in her country\u2019s vibrant democracy at home, while seeking full international recognition of Taiwan\u2019s right to exist.<\/p>\n

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Kuroshio Odyssey: Maritime Memories, Culture, and Landscapes<\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n

The Kuroshio Odyssey was a serial program hosted from October 14 to November 28, 2023, showcasing the diverse Indigenous communities of eastern Taiwan and their stunning natural environment. The program featured in-person displays, online exhibits, crafting workshops, film screenings, and scholarly roundtables across the UW-Seattle campus.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The program was named after Kuroshio \u9ed1\u6f6e, meaning the Black Current in Mandarin which is a warm ocean stream flowing from the tropics to the arctic zones of the west Pacific. Since time immemorial, the Indigenous People in eastern Taiwan have fused their way of living with Kuroshio and have developed distinctive cultures from their relation to this stream.<\/span><\/p>\n

Exhibitions hosted at the Burke Museum and the UW Tateuchi East Asia Library showcased collections from multiple Indigenous communities in eastern Taiwan and included an immersive element as visitors used QR codes to access images and detailed information about selected pieces. Additionally, two Indigenous Taiwanese guest curators working in Taiwan and New Zealand selected collections from the online database of the Indigenous Peoples Cultural Development Center to display at the exhibition.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Research Section:<\/h2>\n

Tin Pak is an undergraduate student majoring in Political Science, Global & Regional Studies, and minoring in Data Science at the University of Washington. In the wake of the recent Taiwanese elections, he looks back at the institutional evolutions that made such a transfer of power possible in his research article titled Taiwan\u2019s Constitutional Court: Shepherd of Authoritarianism and Liberalism<\/em><\/a>. His article analyzes Taiwan\u2019s Constitutional Court (TCC) and its role in facilitating both Authoritarian rule and democratic reform in Taiwan.<\/p>\n

Benton Gordon is a Master\u2019s student in International Studies at the University of Washington with a focus on Taiwan and China. His research article titled Taiwan\u2019s Expanding International Cyberspace<\/em> <\/a>analyzes how Taiwan\u2019s Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA) uses its strong unofficial international partnerships to engage in global internet governance, demonstrating that Taiwan is actively defending and expanding its role in international governance.<\/p>\n

Margaret Yun-Pu Tu is pursuing her Ph.D. in Law at the University of Washington. Her research investigates transitional justice as practiced by Taiwan Indigenous peoples against assimilation policies stemming from Taiwan\u2019s colonial past. It sheds light on the ongoing significant threats to democracy and society in Taiwan. Margaret has just begun this research project, so her article titled Legislative Elections and Taiwan\u2019s Indigenous Peoples: Democracy and the Future<\/em><\/a> briefly introduces her research direction and preliminary findings.<\/p>\n

Student Spotlight:<\/h2>\n

In the Spring of 2024, Tin Pak of the UW Taiwan Studies Program was pleased to interview Albert Wang, a Global and Regional Studies Major with a focus on Taiwan, on his professional and academic experiences. Click this link<\/a> to read the full interview.<\/p>\n

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Links to Videos:<\/b><\/h2>\n