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APSA is coming to San Francisco in 2015.
The American Political Science Association's Conference Group on Taiwan Studies (CGOTS) has posted its call for papers. CGOTS is one of APSA's "related groups" organizations. Founded in 1990, it serves to promote Taiwan studies in the broader political science community, as well as to foster connections between Taiwan-based and U.S.-based scholars with substantial research interests in Taiwan.
For applicants with a Taiwan-related proposal, submitting to CGOTS can substantially improve one's chances of acceptance to the conference. The formal call for papers is reposted below; the deadline to submit applications is December 1, 2014.
For applicants with a Taiwan-related proposal, submitting to CGOTS can substantially improve one's chances of acceptance to the conference. The formal call for papers is reposted below; the deadline to submit applications is December 1, 2014.
The 2015 American Political Science Association (APSA) Annual Meeting will be held from September 3-6 in San Francisco, CA. The conference theme is “Diversities Reconsidered: Politics, and Political Science, in the 21st Century.”
CGOTS invites paper and panel proposals on Taiwan’s domestic politics and international relations that are consistent with the conference theme of “Diversities Reconsidered: Politics, and Political Science, in the 21st Century.”
Notwithstanding the deepening of globalization and accelerating trends of cross-national socioeconomic interactions and diffusion of policies and behaviors, we continue to witness a great deal of diversity across and within regions, nations, and states. Hence, how have Taiwan’s burgeoning civil society and social institutions impacted the island’s democratic process and identity politics? How have increasing diversities in the marketplace of ideas, interests, identities, and media networks contributed to Taiwan’s socioeconomic, foreign, and cross-strait policies? In turn, how do Taiwan’s external environment and relations shape its democracy, social fabrics, and national security? Are Taiwan’s domestic and foreign policy choices experiencing greater constraints or opportunities in the 21st century? In addition, we are also interested in receiving proposals that use different theoretical paradigms and methodological approaches to tackle questions raised by social movements, communication, identity, institutions, and security studies. Our hope is to connect Taiwan Studies to the broader political science literature, use Taiwan as a case for theory development, and/or compare Taiwan with other countries.
Please send proposals through the APSA website (https://www.apsanet.org/content_21569.cfm). If the website is not accessible to you, you may send proposals to Professor Dean P. Chen (dchen@ramapo.edu), CGOTS Coordinator. The deadline for proposals is December 1, 2014. Decisions on the proposals will be communicated to you in February 2015. Travel support for CGOTS panelists is subject to the availability of external funding.
CGOTS invites paper and panel proposals on Taiwan’s domestic politics and international relations that are consistent with the conference theme of “Diversities Reconsidered: Politics, and Political Science, in the 21st Century.”
Notwithstanding the deepening of globalization and accelerating trends of cross-national socioeconomic interactions and diffusion of policies and behaviors, we continue to witness a great deal of diversity across and within regions, nations, and states. Hence, how have Taiwan’s burgeoning civil society and social institutions impacted the island’s democratic process and identity politics? How have increasing diversities in the marketplace of ideas, interests, identities, and media networks contributed to Taiwan’s socioeconomic, foreign, and cross-strait policies? In turn, how do Taiwan’s external environment and relations shape its democracy, social fabrics, and national security? Are Taiwan’s domestic and foreign policy choices experiencing greater constraints or opportunities in the 21st century? In addition, we are also interested in receiving proposals that use different theoretical paradigms and methodological approaches to tackle questions raised by social movements, communication, identity, institutions, and security studies. Our hope is to connect Taiwan Studies to the broader political science literature, use Taiwan as a case for theory development, and/or compare Taiwan with other countries.
Please send proposals through the APSA website (https://www.apsanet.org/content_21569.cfm). If the website is not accessible to you, you may send proposals to Professor Dean P. Chen (dchen@ramapo.edu), CGOTS Coordinator. The deadline for proposals is December 1, 2014. Decisions on the proposals will be communicated to you in February 2015. Travel support for CGOTS panelists is subject to the availability of external funding.
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On October 17-18, 2014, the Taiwan Democracy Project will put on our annual conference on Taiwan's democracy. This year's theme is the politics of polarization. The conference is free and open to the public; you are encouraged to register at the official event page, here. The formal announcement is below.
Over the past year and more, Taiwan’s political elite has been deadlocked over the question of deepening economic relations with the People’s Republic of China. This controversial issue has led to a standoff between the executive and legislative branches, sparked a frenzy of social activism and a student occupation of the legislature, and contributed to President Ma Ying-jeou’s deep unpopularity.
On October 17-18, the Taiwan Democracy Project at CDDRL, with the generous support of the Taipei Economic and Culture Office, will host its annual conference at Stanford University to examine the politics of polarization in Taiwan.
This conference will bring together specialists from Taiwan, the U.S., and elsewhere in Asia to examine the sources and implications of this political polarization in comparative perspective. It will include a special case study of the Trade in Services Agreement with China that triggered this past year’s protests, as well as a more general overview of the politics of trade liberalization in Taiwan, prospects for Taiwan’s integration into the Trans-Pacific Partnership and other regional trade agreements, and a consideration of the implications for Taiwan’s long-term democratic future.
Conference speakers will include: Chung-shu Wu, the president of the Chung-hwa Institute of Economic Research (CIER) in Taipei; Steve Chan of the University of Colorado; Roselyn Hsueh of Temple University; Yun-han Chu, the president of the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation; and Thitinan Pongsudhirak of Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.
Panels will examine the following questions:
1. What are the sources and implications of political polarization in Taiwan, and how have these changed in recent years?
2. How does Taiwan’s recent experience compare to political polarization in other countries in Asia (e.g. South Korea, Thailand) and elsewhere (the US)?
3. To what extent does the latest political deadlock in Taiwan reflect concern over the specific issue of trade with the People’s Republic of China, versus a deeper, systemic set of problems with Taiwan’s democracy?
4. How are globalization and trade liberalization reshaping Taiwan’s domestic political economy, and what are the prospects for forging a stronger pro-trade coalition in Taiwan that transcends the current partisan divide?
The conference will take place October 17-18 in the Bechtel Conference Room in Encina Hall at Stanford University. It is free and open to the public. The full conference agenda is available here.
On October 17-18, the Taiwan Democracy Project at CDDRL, with the generous support of the Taipei Economic and Culture Office, will host its annual conference at Stanford University to examine the politics of polarization in Taiwan.
This conference will bring together specialists from Taiwan, the U.S., and elsewhere in Asia to examine the sources and implications of this political polarization in comparative perspective. It will include a special case study of the Trade in Services Agreement with China that triggered this past year’s protests, as well as a more general overview of the politics of trade liberalization in Taiwan, prospects for Taiwan’s integration into the Trans-Pacific Partnership and other regional trade agreements, and a consideration of the implications for Taiwan’s long-term democratic future.
Conference speakers will include: Chung-shu Wu, the president of the Chung-hwa Institute of Economic Research (CIER) in Taipei; Steve Chan of the University of Colorado; Roselyn Hsueh of Temple University; Yun-han Chu, the president of the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation; and Thitinan Pongsudhirak of Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.
Panels will examine the following questions:
1. What are the sources and implications of political polarization in Taiwan, and how have these changed in recent years?
2. How does Taiwan’s recent experience compare to political polarization in other countries in Asia (e.g. South Korea, Thailand) and elsewhere (the US)?
3. To what extent does the latest political deadlock in Taiwan reflect concern over the specific issue of trade with the People’s Republic of China, versus a deeper, systemic set of problems with Taiwan’s democracy?
4. How are globalization and trade liberalization reshaping Taiwan’s domestic political economy, and what are the prospects for forging a stronger pro-trade coalition in Taiwan that transcends the current partisan divide?
The conference will take place October 17-18 in the Bechtel Conference Room in Encina Hall at Stanford University. It is free and open to the public. The full conference agenda is available here.
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Of possible interest to people in the D.C. area: the Project 2049 Institute is sponsoring a conference on U.S policy towards Taiwan, this Wednesday, September 25, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. The speakers will include the Taiwanese representative to the United States, Shen Lyu-shun (沈呂巡), and a former director of the American Institute in Taipei (AIT), Richard Bush, as well as the leading researcher on U.S.-Taiwan relations at the Congressional Research Service, Shirley Kan. Registration is free and open to the public. Details below.
The Taiwan Policy Review at 20 Years: Assessing the Future of U.S. Taiwan Policy
In 1994, the Clinton Administration completed a comprehensive interagency review of U.S. policy toward Taiwan, the first of its kind launched by an administration since the U.S. shifted recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979. This review resulted in important policy adjustments in line with U.S. national security interests toward Taiwan. As we approach the 20th anniversary of the Taiwan Policy Review (TPR), it is important to assess U.S. policy since the TPR and assess where U.S. policy is heading in the future. Join us for a discussion on the history and significance of the TPR and the future of U.S.-Taiwan relations.
Thursday, September 25, 2014, 10 AM to 12 PM (Noon), Room 2237, Rayburn House Office Building
10 - 11 AM Keynote Speaker
Distinguished Keynote:
Robert Suettinger, Senior Advisor and Consultant, Stimson Center
Commentators:
Ambassador Winston Lord, former Ambassador to China and former Assistant Secretary of State
Ambassador Dr. Shen Lyushun, Representative of the ROC to the U.S.
11 AM - 12 PM Panel
The Taiwan Policy Review: Context and Future Directions
Panelists:
Richard Bush, Director, Center for East Asia Policy Studies, The Brookings Institution
Randy Schriver, President and CEO, Project 2049 Institute
Commentator:
Shirley Kan, Specialist in Asian Security Affairs, Congressional Research Service (CRS)
Moderator:
Sabrina Tsai, Research Fellow, Project 2049 Institute
In 1994, the Clinton Administration completed a comprehensive interagency review of U.S. policy toward Taiwan, the first of its kind launched by an administration since the U.S. shifted recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979. This review resulted in important policy adjustments in line with U.S. national security interests toward Taiwan. As we approach the 20th anniversary of the Taiwan Policy Review (TPR), it is important to assess U.S. policy since the TPR and assess where U.S. policy is heading in the future. Join us for a discussion on the history and significance of the TPR and the future of U.S.-Taiwan relations.
Thursday, September 25, 2014, 10 AM to 12 PM (Noon), Room 2237, Rayburn House Office Building
10 - 11 AM Keynote Speaker
Distinguished Keynote:
Robert Suettinger, Senior Advisor and Consultant, Stimson Center
Commentators:
Ambassador Winston Lord, former Ambassador to China and former Assistant Secretary of State
Ambassador Dr. Shen Lyushun, Representative of the ROC to the U.S.
11 AM - 12 PM Panel
The Taiwan Policy Review: Context and Future Directions
Panelists:
Richard Bush, Director, Center for East Asia Policy Studies, The Brookings Institution
Randy Schriver, President and CEO, Project 2049 Institute
Commentator:
Shirley Kan, Specialist in Asian Security Affairs, Congressional Research Service (CRS)
Moderator:
Sabrina Tsai, Research Fellow, Project 2049 Institute
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On October 3, 2014, the Taiwan Democracy Project will kick off our yearly speaker series with a seminar by Scott Simon on the politics of indigenous rights in Taiwan. Prof. Simon is an anthropologist in the School of Sociological and Anthropological Studies at the University of Ottawa, where he holds the Research Chair in Taiwan Studies. His talk is entitled, "All Our Relations: Indigenous Rights Movements and the Bureaucratization of Indigeneity in Taiwan." The abstract is below. The talk is free and open to the public; you are encouraged to RSVP at the official event page here.
Prof. Simon holds a Ph.D. in anthropology from McGill University, and began his career working in the anthropology of development. His previous publications include Tanners of Taiwan: Life Strategies and National Cultures (2005) and Sweet and Sour: Life-Worlds of Taipei Women Entrepreneurs (2003). Since 2004, he has worked extensively on ethnographic research with Truku and Sediq groups in both Hualien and Nantou counties, which formed the basis for his most recent book, published in French: Sadyaq Balae!: L'Autochtonie Formosane dans Tout Ses États (2012). Today, he is one of the most prominent scholars writing on the Taiwanese state's relations with indigenous "aborigines" (原住民), who by official counts make up about two percent of the island's population.
Prof. Simon holds a Ph.D. in anthropology from McGill University, and began his career working in the anthropology of development. His previous publications include Tanners of Taiwan: Life Strategies and National Cultures (2005) and Sweet and Sour: Life-Worlds of Taipei Women Entrepreneurs (2003). Since 2004, he has worked extensively on ethnographic research with Truku and Sediq groups in both Hualien and Nantou counties, which formed the basis for his most recent book, published in French: Sadyaq Balae!: L'Autochtonie Formosane dans Tout Ses États (2012). Today, he is one of the most prominent scholars writing on the Taiwanese state's relations with indigenous "aborigines" (原住民), who by official counts make up about two percent of the island's population.
All Our Relations: Indigenous Rights Movements and the Bureaucratization of Indigeneity in Taiwan
Taiwan’s indigenous social movement, active since the 1980s, has successfully lobbied to get indigenous rights included in the Republic of China Constitution, to create a cabinet level Council of Indigenous Peoples, and to pass the 2005 Basic Law on Indigenous Peoples. Taiwan’s indigenous social activists have also become regular participants in United Nations indigenous events. Especially during the Chen Shui-bian presidency, foreign observers often suspected that the state instrumentalized “indigeneity” to claim a distinct identity from China. Events since 2008, however, demonstrate that the indigenous rights movement has maintained its own momentum and that the indigenous peoples have interests that cannot be reduced to issues of national identity or party politics. In fact, the indigenous people overwhelmingly support the KMT, and indigenous movements are involved in both “pro-unification” and “pro-independence” political networks. Most indigenous social movement leaders, as well as ordinary indigenous people, hope that their movement can make progress in indigenous rights in ways that transcend the “blue” and “green” division between Han Taiwanese. This talk will explore the diversity of the indigenous movements, their mobilization strategies, and values since Ma Ying-jeou was elected President of the ROC in 2008.
Taiwan’s indigenous social movement, active since the 1980s, has successfully lobbied to get indigenous rights included in the Republic of China Constitution, to create a cabinet level Council of Indigenous Peoples, and to pass the 2005 Basic Law on Indigenous Peoples. Taiwan’s indigenous social activists have also become regular participants in United Nations indigenous events. Especially during the Chen Shui-bian presidency, foreign observers often suspected that the state instrumentalized “indigeneity” to claim a distinct identity from China. Events since 2008, however, demonstrate that the indigenous rights movement has maintained its own momentum and that the indigenous peoples have interests that cannot be reduced to issues of national identity or party politics. In fact, the indigenous people overwhelmingly support the KMT, and indigenous movements are involved in both “pro-unification” and “pro-independence” political networks. Most indigenous social movement leaders, as well as ordinary indigenous people, hope that their movement can make progress in indigenous rights in ways that transcend the “blue” and “green” division between Han Taiwanese. This talk will explore the diversity of the indigenous movements, their mobilization strategies, and values since Ma Ying-jeou was elected President of the ROC in 2008.
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I just received a call for papers to the "World Congress of Taiwan Studies" conference, on June 16-18, 2015 in London, hosted by the Centre of Taiwan Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). This is a relatively new initiative, funded in part by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a component of its support of Taiwan Studies in the UK. The first meeting was held in 2012 at Academia Sinica in Taipei. Details about the 2015 meeting are below.
I'm not sure what this means for the timing of or attendance at the other two regular Taiwan studies conferences that typically happen about the same time:
There are probably enough people working in Taiwan studies to support three different conferences in rapid succession, but it seems sub-optimal for a small field concerned about its viability to hold multiple events exclusively on Taiwan that will be in some competition with one another.
It is also not self-evident that Taiwan studies as a whole benefits from being detached from the larger disciplinary associations, which appears to be the model being promoted here. The Association for Asian Studies (AAS), for instance, used to have a strong Taiwan studies section with a highly influential newsletter (see an example here), but there's been a scant Taiwan presence there in recent years: by my count, there was one panel (out of 366) devoted to Taiwan at this year's AAS annual conference, and a total of 17 presentations (out of about 1300) with some link to Taiwan. Roughly speaking, Taiwan came up less than 2% of the time at the largest Asian Studies conference in the world. That's not much of an impact. And I doubt any non-Taiwan specialists who were at AAS will be paying attention to what happens at NATSA, EATS, or the World Congress of Taiwan Studies next summer.
There's a similar worrisome trend in Taiwan-related papers at the American Political Science Association (APSA) annual meeting, which is happening in Washington, DC this week. There has long been a vibrant Conference Group on Taiwan Studies at APSA, but the number of panels and papers on Taiwan has declined in recent years as well--from three guaranteed panels, CGOTS is now down to one. I don't know about other disciplines--I'd be curious what's going on at the annual meetings of history, sociology, and anthropology--but in political science and Asian Studies, Taiwan-related participation is on the decline.
I suspect these trends are due in large part to the growth of the separate Taiwan Studies conferences. Which, if you think about it, is really a self-inflicted wound. Given that Taiwan's citizens and public officials complain frequently about its official marginalization in world affairs, why actively pursue greater isolation from the disciplines in which Taiwan-related research has historically been conducted? The danger of building a separate "Taiwan Studies" field is that it will confine research on Taiwan to the margins in most of the major disciplines. And it doesn't appear that anyone promoting these conferences is thinking much about that downside.
So, might I humbly suggest that one of the panels at next year's "World Congress" on the "State of the Field" consider whether holding three separate overseas Taiwan Studies conferences in two months is really a good idea at all?
I'm not sure what this means for the timing of or attendance at the other two regular Taiwan studies conferences that typically happen about the same time:
- The European Association of Taiwan Studies annual conference was held this year from April 30-May 2 at University of Portsmouth, also in the UK;
- The North American Taiwan Studies Association annual conference was held this year from June 19-21 at the University of Wisconsin.
There are probably enough people working in Taiwan studies to support three different conferences in rapid succession, but it seems sub-optimal for a small field concerned about its viability to hold multiple events exclusively on Taiwan that will be in some competition with one another.
It is also not self-evident that Taiwan studies as a whole benefits from being detached from the larger disciplinary associations, which appears to be the model being promoted here. The Association for Asian Studies (AAS), for instance, used to have a strong Taiwan studies section with a highly influential newsletter (see an example here), but there's been a scant Taiwan presence there in recent years: by my count, there was one panel (out of 366) devoted to Taiwan at this year's AAS annual conference, and a total of 17 presentations (out of about 1300) with some link to Taiwan. Roughly speaking, Taiwan came up less than 2% of the time at the largest Asian Studies conference in the world. That's not much of an impact. And I doubt any non-Taiwan specialists who were at AAS will be paying attention to what happens at NATSA, EATS, or the World Congress of Taiwan Studies next summer.
There's a similar worrisome trend in Taiwan-related papers at the American Political Science Association (APSA) annual meeting, which is happening in Washington, DC this week. There has long been a vibrant Conference Group on Taiwan Studies at APSA, but the number of panels and papers on Taiwan has declined in recent years as well--from three guaranteed panels, CGOTS is now down to one. I don't know about other disciplines--I'd be curious what's going on at the annual meetings of history, sociology, and anthropology--but in political science and Asian Studies, Taiwan-related participation is on the decline.
I suspect these trends are due in large part to the growth of the separate Taiwan Studies conferences. Which, if you think about it, is really a self-inflicted wound. Given that Taiwan's citizens and public officials complain frequently about its official marginalization in world affairs, why actively pursue greater isolation from the disciplines in which Taiwan-related research has historically been conducted? The danger of building a separate "Taiwan Studies" field is that it will confine research on Taiwan to the margins in most of the major disciplines. And it doesn't appear that anyone promoting these conferences is thinking much about that downside.
So, might I humbly suggest that one of the panels at next year's "World Congress" on the "State of the Field" consider whether holding three separate overseas Taiwan Studies conferences in two months is really a good idea at all?
The Second World Congress of Taiwan Studies will be held at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) June 16-18, 2015. The Congress is being co-organized by Academia Sinica and the SOAS Centre of Taiwan Studies.
The main themes for the Congress are the State of the Field in Taiwan Studies and Taiwan Studies Revisited. We are particularly seeking papers that critically assess the existing field of research in a variety of disciplines. In addition, we will have a series of papers in which authors revisit their most important work in the light of recent developments and research findings. We will have a total 19 panels that address prominent topics in the field of Taiwan Studies and also a number of practical panels that look at themes such as institution building, publishing and teaching.
We have completed the initial round of invitations and now would like to invite abstracts on the following topics:
1. State of the field on Taiwan’s political communication research
2. State of the field of research on Taiwan film (not documentaries).
3. State of the field of research on Internet Politics in Taiwan
4. State of the field on gender politics in Taiwan
5. State of the field on migration research in Taiwan
6. State of the field on research on 21st century Taiwan literature
7. Assessment of Taiwan’s economic challenges after ECFA
Abstract deadline: October 1, 2014
Abstracts should be submitted to: twstudy@gate.sinica.edu.tw
Abstracts should be no more than 600 words long.
We will announce the accepted abstracts on November 15 2014.
The organizers will cover the costs of participants’ accommodation for three nights in London but not travel costs.
The main themes for the Congress are the State of the Field in Taiwan Studies and Taiwan Studies Revisited. We are particularly seeking papers that critically assess the existing field of research in a variety of disciplines. In addition, we will have a series of papers in which authors revisit their most important work in the light of recent developments and research findings. We will have a total 19 panels that address prominent topics in the field of Taiwan Studies and also a number of practical panels that look at themes such as institution building, publishing and teaching.
We have completed the initial round of invitations and now would like to invite abstracts on the following topics:
1. State of the field on Taiwan’s political communication research
2. State of the field of research on Taiwan film (not documentaries).
3. State of the field of research on Internet Politics in Taiwan
4. State of the field on gender politics in Taiwan
5. State of the field on migration research in Taiwan
6. State of the field on research on 21st century Taiwan literature
7. Assessment of Taiwan’s economic challenges after ECFA
Abstract deadline: October 1, 2014
Abstracts should be submitted to: twstudy@gate.sinica.edu.tw
Abstracts should be no more than 600 words long.
We will announce the accepted abstracts on November 15 2014.
The organizers will cover the costs of participants’ accommodation for three nights in London but not travel costs.
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Worth checking out if you are in Taiwan over the next two months: on August 11, the 2014 Asian Barometer Conference (conference website not yet available) at National Taiwan University; and on September 15-17, the 2014 International Conference on Formosan Indigenous Peoples: Contemporary Perspectives, at Academia Sincia (conference website here.) The Taiwan Democracy Project and CDDRL are co-sponsoring the first. I will post more info here as it becomes available. Descriptions below.
Democracy in a Divided Society: East Asia in Comparative Perspective
An Asian Barometer Workshop
Organized by Program for East Asia Democratic Studies, IAS-NTU
Co-Sponsored by the Asian Democracy Research Network and
Center for Democracy, Development and Rule of Law, Stanford University
Taipei, Taiwan, August 10-12, 2014
This workshop seeks to examine the functioning of democracy in divided societies by bringing together leading scholars from Asia and the United States. In particular, the workshop will focus on the politics of polarization: how it erodes or cripples young democracies in Asia and how we might mitigate its damaging effects. The on-going political crisis in Thailand and Taiwan timely reminds us how fragile young democracies can become when the push comes to shove. Most East Asian young and emerging democracies suffer from politics of polarization to some extent, including Mongolia, South Korea, Taiwan and Malaysia. In a broader context, this problem has become epidemic as riot police trying to ward off angry demonstrators in Ukraine and Turkey. While the focus is on East Asia, our colleagues from the United States will help us to cast the regional experiences in comparative perspective. Some of our paper contributors will use data from the Asian Barometer Survey (ABS Wave III) as this cross-national data base provides rich source for individual-country investigation and for region-wide comparative analysis. Other contributors might employ historical, institutional, cultural or structural approaches to tackle the issue. We encourage innovative ways to combine survey data with macro-level factors, such as institutional design, culture, ethnicity, religion and class structure. We hope to evoke synthesis about the impact social division on the functioning of democracy and identify the institutional designs and compensating measures to moderate the tension. All country studies are encouraged to address some institutional arrangements, electoral institution or government structure, and other socioeconomic measures which could moderate or exacerbate the conflicts.
An Asian Barometer Workshop
Organized by Program for East Asia Democratic Studies, IAS-NTU
Co-Sponsored by the Asian Democracy Research Network and
Center for Democracy, Development and Rule of Law, Stanford University
Taipei, Taiwan, August 10-12, 2014
This workshop seeks to examine the functioning of democracy in divided societies by bringing together leading scholars from Asia and the United States. In particular, the workshop will focus on the politics of polarization: how it erodes or cripples young democracies in Asia and how we might mitigate its damaging effects. The on-going political crisis in Thailand and Taiwan timely reminds us how fragile young democracies can become when the push comes to shove. Most East Asian young and emerging democracies suffer from politics of polarization to some extent, including Mongolia, South Korea, Taiwan and Malaysia. In a broader context, this problem has become epidemic as riot police trying to ward off angry demonstrators in Ukraine and Turkey. While the focus is on East Asia, our colleagues from the United States will help us to cast the regional experiences in comparative perspective. Some of our paper contributors will use data from the Asian Barometer Survey (ABS Wave III) as this cross-national data base provides rich source for individual-country investigation and for region-wide comparative analysis. Other contributors might employ historical, institutional, cultural or structural approaches to tackle the issue. We encourage innovative ways to combine survey data with macro-level factors, such as institutional design, culture, ethnicity, religion and class structure. We hope to evoke synthesis about the impact social division on the functioning of democracy and identify the institutional designs and compensating measures to moderate the tension. All country studies are encouraged to address some institutional arrangements, electoral institution or government structure, and other socioeconomic measures which could moderate or exacerbate the conflicts.
2014 International Conference on Formosan Indigenous Peoples: A Contemporary Perspective
Organized by:
Institute of Ethnology, Academia Sinica;
ROC Council of Indigenous Peoples;
Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines;
And co-sponsored by:
Centre of Taiwan Studies, SOAS, University of London;
European Association of Taiwan Studies
This year marks the 15 years since we had the First International Conference on Taiwanese Indigenous Peoples in 1999. Taiwanese indigenous peoples have encountered dramatic socio-cultural and environmental changes in recent years, including the rectification of indigenous people’s names that have created new tribes for indigenous peoples, the passage of indigenous people’s basic rights in the legislation, the increase of natural calamities that threaten their living environments, and so on and so forth. All these developments require new research and discussions. The Institute of Ethnology, Academia Sinica, and Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines, with funding support from the Council of Taiwanese Indigenous Peoples of the Executive Yuan, will cooperate again to hold the Second International Conference on Taiwanese Indigenous Peoples from September 15 through 17, 2014, at the Institute of Ethnology, Academia Sinica.
Organized by:
Institute of Ethnology, Academia Sinica;
ROC Council of Indigenous Peoples;
Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines;
And co-sponsored by:
Centre of Taiwan Studies, SOAS, University of London;
European Association of Taiwan Studies
This year marks the 15 years since we had the First International Conference on Taiwanese Indigenous Peoples in 1999. Taiwanese indigenous peoples have encountered dramatic socio-cultural and environmental changes in recent years, including the rectification of indigenous people’s names that have created new tribes for indigenous peoples, the passage of indigenous people’s basic rights in the legislation, the increase of natural calamities that threaten their living environments, and so on and so forth. All these developments require new research and discussions. The Institute of Ethnology, Academia Sinica, and Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines, with funding support from the Council of Taiwanese Indigenous Peoples of the Executive Yuan, will cooperate again to hold the Second International Conference on Taiwanese Indigenous Peoples from September 15 through 17, 2014, at the Institute of Ethnology, Academia Sinica.
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On Wednesday, May 7, 4:30-6:30pm in Green Library at Stanford, Dr. Lant Prichett of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University will deliver the Hsieh Memorial Lecture. Like the Liang Memorial Address given at Stanford last week, this annual lecture honors a former governor of the Central Bank of Taiwan, Dr. Sam-chung Hsieh (謝森中), who held that position from 1989-1994. The official event page can be found here. The abstract for Dr. Prichett's talk is below.
The Varieties of the 'Deals Capitalism' Experience: The Past and Future of Asian Growth.
Economic prosperity has come to be associated with good institutions--open markets, electoral democracy, capable bureaucracies. However, it is hard to take that narrative to East Asia where either historically (e.g. Korea in the 1960s) and today (e.g. China, Vietnam) the successful episodes hardly fit the model of open markets supported by "rule of law." Pritchett emphasizes the notion of "deals capitalism" in which proprietor rights grounded in person and organization specific deals dominate neutrally enforced rules of property rights.
Economic prosperity has come to be associated with good institutions--open markets, electoral democracy, capable bureaucracies. However, it is hard to take that narrative to East Asia where either historically (e.g. Korea in the 1960s) and today (e.g. China, Vietnam) the successful episodes hardly fit the model of open markets supported by "rule of law." Pritchett emphasizes the notion of "deals capitalism" in which proprietor rights grounded in person and organization specific deals dominate neutrally enforced rules of property rights.
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In keeping with this blog's mission of highlighting Taiwan-related events on campus:
The Stanford Center for International Development (SCID) has established a Memorial Award and Lecture Series to celebrate the life and accomplishments of Dr. Kuo-Shu Liang, who was Governor of the Central Bank of Taiwan, 1994 – 95. [The official announcement has these years wrong; Dr. Liang was vice governor of the Central Bank from 1975-1979, not governor.]
The third bi-annual event will take place at Stanford on Monday, April 28, 2014, 4:30-6:00pm. Dr. Jianhai Lin, Secretary of the Fund and the International Monetary and Financial Committee, will be the invited recipient of the Kuo-Shu Liang Award and will deliver the Kuo-Shu Liang Memorial address, entitled "Global Economic Landscape and Challenges." The event page is here.
Jianhai Lin is the Secretary of the Fund and the International Monetary and Financial Committee. He oversees the Secretary's Department that has operational responsibility for the 24-member Executive Board, and serves as the official contact point of the IMF's 188 member countries on institutional matters, including work of the Board of Governors. The Secretary's Department also organizes Spring and Annual Meetings, and is the creator and custodian of the IMF's official record.
A Chinese native, Mr. Lin was appointed to his current position in March 2012. He previously served in senior positions in the Secretary's, Finance, Policy Development and Review, and Asian and Pacific Departments. During his IMF career, he has worked across a wide range of country, policy, and administrative issues.
Mr. Lin studied at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, China, and the University of California at Berkeley, and earned his doctorate from the George Washington University. Before joining the Fund, he worked in the financial sector and academia.
The Stanford Center for International Development (SCID) has established a Memorial Award and Lecture Series to celebrate the life and accomplishments of Dr. Kuo-Shu Liang, who was Governor of the Central Bank of Taiwan, 1994 – 95. [The official announcement has these years wrong; Dr. Liang was vice governor of the Central Bank from 1975-1979, not governor.]
The third bi-annual event will take place at Stanford on Monday, April 28, 2014, 4:30-6:00pm. Dr. Jianhai Lin, Secretary of the Fund and the International Monetary and Financial Committee, will be the invited recipient of the Kuo-Shu Liang Award and will deliver the Kuo-Shu Liang Memorial address, entitled "Global Economic Landscape and Challenges." The event page is here.
Jianhai Lin is the Secretary of the Fund and the International Monetary and Financial Committee. He oversees the Secretary's Department that has operational responsibility for the 24-member Executive Board, and serves as the official contact point of the IMF's 188 member countries on institutional matters, including work of the Board of Governors. The Secretary's Department also organizes Spring and Annual Meetings, and is the creator and custodian of the IMF's official record.
A Chinese native, Mr. Lin was appointed to his current position in March 2012. He previously served in senior positions in the Secretary's, Finance, Policy Development and Review, and Asian and Pacific Departments. During his IMF career, he has worked across a wide range of country, policy, and administrative issues.
Mr. Lin studied at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, China, and the University of California at Berkeley, and earned his doctorate from the George Washington University. Before joining the Fund, he worked in the financial sector and academia.
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The Stanford Night Market, an annual tradition going back over a decade, is being held this evening, 6:30-9 pm on the Stanford campus at White Plaza. It's hosted by the Taiwanese Cultural Society at Stanford. Check it out if you're around! Details can be found at the event webpage.
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On May 5, 2014, the Taiwan Democracy Project will welcome Roselyn Hsueh to Stanford for a very timely talk on the politics of trade in Taiwan. Dr. Hsueh is an assistant professor of political science at Temple University and a visiting scholar in the Religion, Politics, and Globalization Program at U.C. Berkeley. Her talk is entitled, "Economies and Identities: The Politics of Taiwan's Globalization in the Age of China." The talk is free and open to the public, although you are encouraged to RSVP to alice.carter@stanford.edu. The talk abstract is below. UPDATE: The official event page is here.
Professor Hsueh's research focuses on the politics of market reform, comparative capitalism, development, and other areas of international and comparative political economy. Her publications include China’s Regulatory State: A New Strategy for Globalization (Cornell University Press, 2011) and “China and India in the Age of Globalization: Sectoral Variation in Postliberalization Reregulation,” Comparative Political Studies 45 (2012): 32-61. She received her Ph.D. from U.C. Berkeley and has served as a Hayward R. Alker Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Southern California and conducted research as a U.S. Fulbright Scholar at the Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
Professor Hsueh's research focuses on the politics of market reform, comparative capitalism, development, and other areas of international and comparative political economy. Her publications include China’s Regulatory State: A New Strategy for Globalization (Cornell University Press, 2011) and “China and India in the Age of Globalization: Sectoral Variation in Postliberalization Reregulation,” Comparative Political Studies 45 (2012): 32-61. She received her Ph.D. from U.C. Berkeley and has served as a Hayward R. Alker Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Southern California and conducted research as a U.S. Fulbright Scholar at the Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
Economies and Identities: The Politics of Taiwan’s Globalization in the Age of China
For several weeks in March and April, university students in Taiwan camped out in the legislative and cabinet offices to protest the Cross-Strait Agreement on Trade in Services between China and Taiwan. Joined by hundreds of thousands of Taiwanese, spilling out to the streets, the demonstrators claim President Ma Ying-jeou negotiated the agreement with China without seeking any public input and bypassing the legislative process entirely. Implications of this historical social movement include the functioning of Taiwan’s democratic institutions, which have undergone regime change but democratic consolidation remains in question. Additionally, a potential cross-strait crisis can affect U.S.-China relations in the post-Cold War era. Two important forces are also at play: China’s meteoric playing-by-its-own-rules economic rise, and the evolving Taiwanese national identity after its transition to democracy. This talk will center on the national-specific consequences of liberal trade and democracy for Taiwan’s economic globalization and political development.
For several weeks in March and April, university students in Taiwan camped out in the legislative and cabinet offices to protest the Cross-Strait Agreement on Trade in Services between China and Taiwan. Joined by hundreds of thousands of Taiwanese, spilling out to the streets, the demonstrators claim President Ma Ying-jeou negotiated the agreement with China without seeking any public input and bypassing the legislative process entirely. Implications of this historical social movement include the functioning of Taiwan’s democratic institutions, which have undergone regime change but democratic consolidation remains in question. Additionally, a potential cross-strait crisis can affect U.S.-China relations in the post-Cold War era. Two important forces are also at play: China’s meteoric playing-by-its-own-rules economic rise, and the evolving Taiwanese national identity after its transition to democracy. This talk will center on the national-specific consequences of liberal trade and democracy for Taiwan’s economic globalization and political development.