WorldBoston Hosts Talk on Taiwan at Pardee School

World Boston, an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, hosted a January 15, 2019 discussion at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University entitled “Taiwan Today: Perspectives from Taipei” that featured academic leaders from National Chengchi University in Taipei, Taiwan.

The conversation featured R.R. Chyou, Dean of the College of International Affairs at the National Chengchi University, and Kwei-Bo Huang, Vice Dean of the College of International Affairs at National Chengchi University.

The conversation explored the 40th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act in light of the results of Taiwan’s November 2018 elections which saw President’s Tsai Ing-wen’s Democratic Progressive Party lose significant local seats and referenda results to the Kuomintang Party. While these election results were interpreted by many as evidence of a Taiwanese shift toward rapprochement with China, the discussion focused on whether this is really the case. 

The Taiwan Relations Act, which allowed for continuation of close cooperation between Taiwan and the United States after the establishment of diplomatic relations with the China. Taiwan is developing rapidly, becoming a center of innovation and technology concurrent with impressive growth of the country’s civil society. However, much Western coverage of Taiwan focuses on the country’s relations with China (as was the case following the country’s November 2018 elections). The discussion explored this trend in the light of the election results.

Following the discussion Dean Chyou and Vice Dean Huang met with Pardee School Dean Adil Najam and Associate Dean William Grimes to explore ideas for  future collaboration between National Chengchi University and the Pardee School. 

WorldBoston fosters engagement in international affairs and cooperation with peoples of all nations. Through nationally-recognized global engagement and citizen diplomacy programs and community events, every year WorldBoston provides people from all over the world – and people right here – hundreds of opportunities for learning and connection. The WorldBoston community includes professionals in every field, including government, business, media, education, science, and the arts; young people; and citizen diplomats.