International Symposium: 'Multiculturalism with Asian Characteristics?', January 26-27, 2019

On January 26-27, the Kyushu University Taiwan Program hosted an international symposium on the theme ‘Multiculturalism with Asian Characteristics? Interpreting multiculturalism in education and public / popular culture across Asia’. The event was funded by Kyushu University’s Progress 100 scheme.

The symposium featured presentations by scholars from National Taiwan Normal University, La Trobe University, the Education University of Hong Kong, and University College London, as well as by Kyushu University faculty and postgraduate students.

Annual Symposium: Taiwan Today (台湾事情), December 15-16, 2018

On December 15-16, 2018, the Kyushu University Taiwan Program hosted Katakura Yoshifumi, Katakura Mari, and Dr. John Chuan-Tiong Lim for the second annual 台湾事情 symposium.

Mr. and Mrs. Katakura delivered lectures during the first day on the theme of ‘Taiwan’s history and diversity’. On the second day, Dr. Lim (of Academia Sinica) discussed identity issues in Okinawa, Taiwan and Hong Kong in comparative perspective.

Over 100 people attended the symposium over the two days, including both Kyushu University students and members of the public. The symposium was generously supported by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (branch) in Fukuoka.

Kyushu Taiwan Program Taught Programs (Autumn-Winter Semester, 2018-19)

In the Autumn-Winter Semester of 2018-19, the Kyushu University Taiwan Studies Program is offering three credit-bearing interdisciplinary courses on Taiwan, aimed primarily at undergraduate students. (These courses are in addition to the class on ‘East Asian Images of Japan: the case of Taiwan in Comparative Perspective, taught by Prof. Vickers in this semester.)

The three courses are:

The annual two-day ‘Taiwan Today’ (台湾事情) Symposium (December 15-16)

An intensive course on ‘Contemporary Taiwan Through Film’, taught by Prof. Tomita Akira of Tamkang University (February 11-15)

The annual Taiwan Field Work for Kyushu University students (March 10-17)

The poster below provides details of these courses in Japanese.

Lecture by Edward Vickers in Taipei to students of the Chinese University of Hong Kong

On December 11, 2018, Edward Vickers delivered a lecture on ‘Museums and Identity Politics in Contemporary Taiwan’ to postgraduate students from the Chinese University of Hong Kong who were visiting Taipei as part of a field trip organized by Dr. Tim Summers of CUHK.

Prof. Vickers lecturing the CUHK students in Taipei

World Congress of Taiwan Studies and Taipei visit, September 2018

Dr. Maehara and Prof. Vickers attended the World Congress of Taiwan Studies at Academia Sinica in Taipei (September 6-8, 2018), where Dr. Maehara also presented her recent work on the politics of ‘comfort women’ commemoration in East Asia. On September 10, Prof. Vickers was interviewed about his work on Taiwan, Hong Kong and China by Dr. Yin C. Chuang on the Formosa TV show 台製日常 (click on the title to go to the recording of the show on Youtube).

Edward Vickers being interviewed by Change Chia-yin on Formosa TV, September 10, 2018

Intensive course by Dr. Yin C. Chuang (莊佳穎) of National Taiwan Normal University

From September 3-5, 2018, Dr. Yin C. Chuang of NTNU visited Kyushu University to deliver a well-attended intensive course on ‘“Cuteness” and the reception of Japanese popular culture in Taiwan’. This was perhaps the last class ever to be delivered on Kyushu University’s old Hakozaki Campus - before all social science and humanities faculties moved to our new Ito Campus in September 2018.

Dr. Chuang with Prof. Vickers, Dr. Maehara and some of the students attending her class, September 2018.

Study tour to the Zheng Cheng-gong (鄭成功) festival, Hirado (Nagasaki Prefecture)

In July, 2018, Dr. Maehara and Prof. Vickers organised a study tour for students to the ‘Zheng Chenggong Festival’ (鄭成功祭り) in Hirado, Nagasaki Prefecture. This festival is held annually at Hirado, the birthplace of Zheng Chenggong, and his mother’s hometown. Attending this event provided the students with interesting insights into the different interpretations (and political uses) of Zheng Chenggong’s legacy in contemporary Taiwan and East Asia.

Young drummers performing at the Zheng Cheng-gong festival in Hirado, July 14, 2018.

The Inaugural Kyushu University Taiwan Studies Field Trip, March 11-18, 2018

From March 11-18, 2018, Prof. Vickers, Dr. Maehara and six Kyudai students (five undergraduates and one postgraduate) travelled to Taiwan for the first field trip organized under the auspices of our new program. The group was kindly hosted by three of our Taiwanese partner universities (Chinan University in Nantou County, and NTNU and NTU in Taipei), where we interacted with local students and scholars and explored prospects for future collaboration and exchange.

Kyudai and NTNU students pay their respects to the Sage, NTNU (Taipei) (Photo: Mervin Low)

We began the trip with two days in the southern city of Tainan, visiting the National Museum of Taiwan History and local historical sites, before traveling to Taipei to team up with another group of visiting students from Tokyo University, led by Prof. Ako Tomoko.

Son of Kyushu and Taiwanese (or Chinese?) hero: Zheng Cheng-gong (born in Hirado, Kyushu) with his Japanese mother, Tainan, southern Taiwan (Photo: Edward Vickers)

The Kyudai and Todai groups together visited the Human Rights Museum in Jingmei (housed in the prison used for incarcerating political prisoners during Taiwan's Martial Law period), where they were guided by Tsai Kunlin, himself a former prisoner. They then heard eyewitness accounts from other former prisoners, who talked about the notorious `228 Massacre' of 1947 and the subsequent `White Terror`.

Mr Tsai Kunlin guides the students around the Jingmei Human Rights Museum

The Kyudai group also visited the National Taiwan Museum (originally established during the Japanese colonial period) and the National Palace Museum, giving us the opportunity to reflect on how different Taiwanese cultural institutions embody and promote rather different visions of the island`s identity. Another fascinating insight into Taiwanese history and culture was provided by Sumiki Hikari, who guided the Kyudai and Todai groups around the backstreets of Taipei's Guting district, drawing on the material in her recent book,『在台灣尋找Y字路／台湾、Y字路さがし』（2017年、玉山社).

The Todai and Kyudai groups were graciously hosted by officers at the headquarters of the Democratic Progressive Party, and at the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, where we had the opportunity to learn about and discuss Taiwanese democracy (and the role of democracy promotion in ROC diplomacy) and the current political agenda on the island. We also had a discussion with the Taipei Bureau Chief of the Yomiuri Shimbun, Makinoda Toru, who talked about his extensive experience reporting from both Taiwan and mainland China.

The Todai and Kyudai groups with Dr. Ketty Chen at the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy

The visit concluded with a symposium at National Taiwan University at which students from Todai, Kyudai, NTU and Tamkang University discussed `differences between Japan and Taiwan`. It emerged that one of the more striking differences between the Japanese and Taiwanese students related to their level political awareness and engagement - giving all concerned much cause for reflection.

The students found this trip an immensely rewarding experience, and it provides an excellent basis for planning field trips for future years, when we will be taking larger groups to Taiwan.

Students from Tokyo and Kyushu Universities with their counterparts from National Taiwan and Tamkang Universities at NTU in Taipei, March 17 (Prof.s Ako, Tomita and Vickers and Dr. Maehara in attendance). (Photo: Mervin Low)

Intensive course on Contemporary Taiwanese Society and Politics by Naoya Yamazaki (山崎 直也)

From February 26 to March 2, 2018, Professor Naoya Yamazaki (山崎 直也) of Teikyo University (帝京大学) visited Kyushu University to deliver an intensive course on Contemporary Taiwanese Society and Politics to our students. Prof. Yamazaki discussed a range of significant and contentious aspects of Taiwan's current predicament - setting this in historical context, and paying particular attention to ongoing debates over culture and identity, and their political ramifications.

Intensive course by Dr. Lin Tzu-bin on `Education in Taiwan: System, Policies and Current Issues`

From February 5-9, 2018, Dr, Lin Tzu-bin of National Taiwan Normal University visited Kyushu University to deliver an intensive course on `Education in Taiwan: System, Policies and Issues.` The course provided an overview of the recent history of Taiwan's education system, and an introduction to some of the more contentious aspects of recent debates over educational reform. Dr. Lin, who gained experience of studying and working in England and Singapore before taking up his current position at NTNU, discussed the case of Taiwan in comparative perspective, inviting students to explore parallels with recent developments in Japan and elsewhere.