The Oxford Taiwan Studies Programme Launch

The Oxford Taiwan Studies Programme, part of the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies, will mark its official launch with a conference on 28th November. This event is open to the public.

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Co-organisers and Partners 

  • Education Division, Taipei Representative Office in the U.K. 
  • Oxford School of Global and Area Studies, University of Oxford 
  • Asian Studies Centre, St Antony’s College 
  • Oxford University Taiwanese Student Society 

Conference Schedule 

11.30 – 12.00 Welcome and Introduction 

  • Kelly Wu-Chiao Hsieh, Representative, Taipei Representative Office in the U.K.
  • Nicole Yen-Yi Lee, Director General of the Department of International and Cross-strait Education of the Ministry of Education (remote) 
  • Timothy Power, Head of Social Sciences Division, University of Oxford  
  • Paul Chaisty, Head of Oxford School of Global and Area Studies 
  • Rachel Murphy, Research Director of Oxford School of Global and Area Studies 

12.00 – 12:45 Opening Keynote Lecture 

  • Sarah Liu, Senior Lecturer in Gender and Politics, School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh: ‘Too feminine to protect a country? The gendered experiences of soldiers in the Taiwanese army’ 

12.45 – 13:30 Lunch 

13.30 – 15:00 Panel I: Taiwanese Identity and Nationalism 

  • Chair: Paul Irwin Crookes, Associate Professor, Oxford School of Global and Area Studies 
  • Adina Zemanek, Lecturer in Asia Pacific Studies, Northern Institute of Taiwan Studies, University of Central Lancashire: ‘What is Taiwaneseness in the comics industry?’ 
  • Christopher Hughes, Emeritus Professor of International Relations, Department of International Relations, London School of Economics and Political Science: ‘Can the KMT become truly Taiwanese?’ 
  • Jonathan Sullivan, Associate Professor, School of Politics and International Relations, University of Nottingham: ‘Which independence, which status quo? Taiwanese nationalism and the ROC’ 

15.00 – 15:15 Coffee/Tea 

15.15 – 16.45 Panel II: Cultural Politics and Citizenship in Taiwanese Society 

  • Chair: Ssu-Han Yu, Senior Research Fellow, Oxford School of Global and Area Studies 
  • Po-Hsi Chen, Postdoctoral Fellow in Taiwan Studies, Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Cambridge: 'The "Quemoy-Matsu Award": How was the Golden Horse transformed from party-state apparatus to globalised entertainment?' 
  • Chen-Yu Lin, Lecturer in Creative and Cultural Industries, School of Journalism, Media and Culture, Cardiff University: ‘The Golden Melody Awards: Democratisation and transformation of Taiwanese post-martial law society’ 
  • Lara Momesso, Senior Lecturer in Asia Pacific Studies, Northern Institute of Taiwan Studies, University of Central Lancashire: ‘Is legal citizenship enough to measure new residents’ integration in Taiwanese public life?’ 

16.45 – 17:00 Coffee/Tea 

17.00 – 18:00 Closing Keynote Lecture (remote) 

  • Shelley Rigger, Brown Professor of Political Science, Davidson College: ‘Taiwan Studies and the future of Taiwan: What are scholars’ obligations to their research subject?’ 

Register now