NTNU International Taiwan Studies Center Newsletter

A Word From Our Director

Welcome to the June 2026 issue of the NTNU International Taiwan Studies Center Newsletter. This issue focuses on Taiwan Studies in North America, through an introduction to the Taiwan Studies Initiative at University of Indiana Bloomington (the host of NATSA's annual conference this year), an interview with Harvard Hou Family Postdoctoral Fellow in Taiwan Studies Wendy Wan-ting Wang about her research into Indigenous agency and experience teaching Taiwan's history, and a report on the 2026 UCLA-NTNU Taiwan Studies Initiative Conference, "Tongues of Taiwan," held in May.

This summer is also shaping up to be very productive for Taiwan Studies around the world, with Yushan Scholar Professor Shih Shu-mei holding a lecture series here at NTNU, the Taiwan Studies Summer School at SOAS, an ongoing colloquium in Germany, and the annual conference of the North American Taiwan Studies Association. There are also several calls for papers for conferences being held later this year and next, including one at INALCO in France, and an announcement seeking submissions for the Taiwan Advocacy Project—see below for more details.

We hope that these stories and updates will provide connections and inspiration to help further integrate the Taiwan Studies field and build stronger links with like-minded organizations around the world. We look forward to sharing further developments and partnerships with you in the second half of 2026.

Director

Nikky Lin

Editorial Team

Greg Laslo

Chang Feng-en

Josh Edbrooke

Jessica Siu-yin Yeung

Table of Contents

A Word From Our Director
Indiana University Bloomington's Taiwan Studies Initiative: Building Bridges Across Campus and Beyond
New Voices in Taiwan Studies: Wendy Wan-ting Wang on Indigenous Agency, Technological Engagement, and Teaching Taiwan's History
Special Event Reports
International Taiwan Studies Media
Upcoming Taiwan Studies Events From Around the World
Recent Publications in the Taiwan Studies Field
Useful Content for Teaching and Research
Connect With Us

Indiana University Bloomington's Taiwan Studies Initiative: Building Bridges Across Campus and Beyond

Indiana University Bloomington has long been a hub of creativity and innovation in the field of Taiwan Studies. This issue, we are honored to introduce the Taiwan Studies Initiative there, and discuss how it has successful engaged with students across departments and even built bridges with the wider community under the leadership of Associate Professor Wang Fei-Hsien.

Associate Professor Wang Fei-Hsien:

Director of the Taiwan Studies Initiative at University of Indiana Bloomington

Since its establishment in 2018, the Taiwan Studies Initiative (TSI) at Indiana University Bloomington's East Asian Studies Center has become one of the most dynamic platforms for Taiwan-related teaching, research, and public engagement in the American Midwest. Led by Associate Professor Fei-Hsien Wang, the initiative has sought not only to expand understanding of Taiwan across academic disciplines, but also to create meaningful connections between the university, the Bloomington community, and institutions in Taiwan.

Supported in part by Taiwan's Ministry of Education through the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago, the initiative hosts a wide range of regular activities, including two Taiwan-focused academic talks each semester, an annual “Taiwan Day” event, and numerous collaborative projects that explore Taiwan's history, society, politics, and culture. Teaching has also been a key pillar of the program. Two Taiwan-related courses, “Taiwan in Global History” and “Taiwanese Culture and Society Through Film,” are offered each year and have consistently attracted students from a broad range of disciplines across the university. Looking ahead, the initiative hopes to establish a dedicated Taiwan Studies minor within the next three years, further strengthening Taiwan-focused opportunities at Indiana University.

International Taiwan Studies Media

NTNU International Taiwan Studies Center Podcast

The first season of the NTNU International Taiwan Studies Center Podcast interviewing scholars from all around the world has now wrapped up. Listen to all 15 episodes here.

A brand new season in collaboration with the International Journal of Taiwan Studies is under production, so watch this space for more news!

Help Represent Taiwan With the Taiwan Advocacy Project

Dear Colleagues,

For far too long, Taiwan's voice has been underrepresented in international discussions on the Indo-Pacific, regional security, and cross-Strait affairs. As a result, Taiwan's own perspectives often receive limited attention.

To help address this gap, we have launched the Taiwan Advocacy Project to strengthen Taiwan's voice in international public discourse. Through a publication incentive program, we seek to encourage Taiwanese scholars, researchers, policy professionals, and graduate students to contribute commentaries and opinion pieces to leading international media outlets.

While the initiative places particular emphasis on national security, defense, and regional affairs, we also welcome submissions on a wide range of topics relevant to Taiwan, including economics, trade, technology, law, public policy, culture, education, and society. Articles in these fields are equally eligible for consideration under the program's award scheme, as strengthening Taiwan's international voice requires contributions across multiple domains.

Read more in English or in Mandarin.

NATSA Podcast Season 4

Ft. Prof. Yvonne Chang of UT Austin

Season 4 of the North American Taiwan Studies Association Podcast is centered on the theme of "Old Books in Taiwan Studies," with each guest scholar sharing an important work in Taiwan Studies. Episode 4 featured Professor Yvonne Chang (張誦聖) of UT Austin's Center for Taiwan Studies, sharing Chinese Fiction from Taiwan: Critical Perspectives, as well as her own academic journey and the early development of the study of Taiwan literature in North America. Listen to the podcast here.

Play the Game and Learn Taiwanese With TaiGiddy

TaiGiddy is a gamified Taiwanese language learning website developed by the International Taiwan Studies Center at NTNU. It is currently the most comprehensive Taiwanese learning platform in the world with over 1,000 exercises covering thirty categories, including daily life, culture, religion, politics, and new vocabulary. It is a valuable resource for anyone interested in learning Taiwanese. More info here.

Upcoming Taiwan Studies Events

From Around the World

Sinophone Studies Across Disciplines:

Summer 2026 Lecture Series & Workshop

This summer, the International Taiwan Studies Center at NTNU will be hosting the next round of lectures in the "Taiwan and Sinophone Studies Across Disciplines" series, organized and moderated by noted literary theorist, Yushan Scholar, and UCLA Irving and Jean Stone Chair Professor in Humanities Shih Shu-mei (史書美).

Lectures in this series will include a discussion of the international appeal of Yang Shuang Zi's historical yuri novels, a talk exploring the future role of technology and artificial intelligence in the Sinophone world, and a glimpse into new conceptions of Europe from the Sinophone perspective.

As part of this series, Professor Shih will also moderate a workshop, to be held on July 10, titled「重構台灣製造：全球流動下的科技與社會及人文研究工作坊」(Made-in-Taiwan, Reassembled: Workshop on Technoscience and the Humanities in Global Circulation). See more info and sign up to attend here.

Lecture Dates: 3:00-5:00 p.m., July 1, 3, & 8, 2026

Workshop Date: 2:30-5:00 p.m., July 10, 2026

Venue: Second Conference Room, Administration Building, National Taiwan Normal University Heping Campus

This event is sponsored by the Yushan Program of the Ministry of Education.

Call for Papers: "Global Taiwan" Conference at the University of Melbourne

Co-organized by the Australasian Taiwan Studies Association of the University of Melbourne and ITSC at NTNU, "Global Taiwan" is an international and interdisciplinary conference that brings together scholars from across the humanities and social sciences to explore Taiwan's place in the world. The conference seeks to reassess Taiwan's global significance and advance the study of Taiwan in a comparative, transnational frame by situating Taiwan within global historical processes, intellectual currents, and cultural exchanges, while also highlighting the island's distinctive experiences and contributions. The call for papers is now open; submissions in English or Mandarin are both welcome. More info here.

Deadline for abstract submissions: July 31, 2026

Conference Dates: November 4-5, 2026

Venue: University of Melbourne

Workshop at ITSC: "Keywords of Taiwan Theory III"

For over a decade now, scholars of Taiwan have been ambitiously working to build a theoretical foundation for Taiwan Studies. The "keyword approach," as exemplified by Keywords of Taiwan Theory (2019) and Keywords of Taiwan Theory II (2025), involves creating keywords which represent important concepts in Taiwan history, culture, or theory, in order to create a network of experiences, perspectives, positions, and theories. The aim is to make Taiwan not only a provider of experience, but also a creator of theoretical tools that can be used to address major global issues.

As part of the preparation for the third volume, ITSC will host the "Keywords of Taiwan Theory III" Workshop (「臺灣理論關鍵詞III」工作坊) in late September, where more than fifty papers will be presented, each exploring a new keyword. More info here; read the original call for papers here.

Dates: September 19-20, 2026

Venue: Bo-ai Building, Heping II Campus, NTNU

New Forum at INALCO to Explore Cross-institutional Collaboration in Taiwan Studies

On October 15-16, 2026, INALCO will be holding a symposium titled「在世界的臺灣與有臺灣參與的世界：臺灣研究講座南歐論壇」(Taiwan In the World and the World With Taiwan: Taiwan Studies Southern European Forum). Building on the integrated research resources and networks established by Taiwan Studies centers around the world, the symposium aims to highlight how Taiwan and its knowledge participates in global theoretical production, in areas such as democratization, transitional justice, gender equality policy, economic growth, and literary expression.

The two-day event will feature keynote addresses from distinguished scholars such as Professors Wu Tsong-min (吳聰敏) and Elliot Fan (樊家忠) of NTU, Director General Huang Chun-ju (黃俊儒) of the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at NSTC, and renowned oceanographic author Liao Hung-chi (廖鴻基). Scholars and representatives of research centers will be invited to conduct exchanges and discuss the difficulties their institutions face, and how they can create actionable solutions through cross-institutional cooperation. Students and young scholars will also have the opportunity to share their research and have it reviewed by experienced scholars, as well as network with institutions from around the world.

We welcome interested scholars and those involved in Taiwan Studies anywhere in the world to attend. For more information, contact Liu Chan-yueh, Director, INALCO Chair in Taiwan Studies at INALCO: chan-yueh.liu@inalco.fr

Summer Term of ERCCT Taiwan Colloquium at the University of Tübingen

The Taiwan Colloquium at the European Research Center on Contemporary Taiwan (ERCCT) is ongoing at the University of Tübingen. Every Monday until July 23, Research Fellows and Visiting Scholars meet to discuss their research. Project ideas and intended field studies will be communicated, applied theory and methodology scrutinized, and empirical findings gathered in the field critically assessed. The Visiting Scholars play an important role in evaluating the Fellows' projects and presenting their own research and subjecting it to open academic debate. More info on topics and how to join in person or online here.

Dates: Monday afternoons (CEST), May 4 — July 23, June 26, July 17

Venue: SR 003, Keplerstraße 2, Tübingen, or online

NATSA Annual Conference: "Resonance/Dissonance — Taiwan Studies, Knowledge Production, and Power Asymmetry"

The North American Taiwan Studies Association will be holding its 31st annual conference on June 26-28, 2026, at Indiana University Bloomington. This year’s theme is "Resonance/Dissonance: Taiwan Studies, Knowledge Production and Power Asymmetry." With a focus on the uneven distribution of resources and prestige, this conference uses the metaphors of "resonance" and "dissonance" to discuss the relationship between various voices and how they resonate with existing intellectual frameworks, and encourage interdisciplinary conversations and collaborations. See the full schedule here; register to attend here; see the original call for papers here.

Dates: June 26-28, 2026

Venue: Global & International Studies Building (GISB), Indiana University Bloomington

Taiwan Studies Summer School at SOAS

Open for Applications

Registration for this year's Taiwan Studies Summer School at SOAS is now open. The program will begin on June 26 and continue from June 29 to July 3. This year will bring together scholars, practitioners, and filmmakers in conversation on three main themes: Anti-death penalty, queer Taiwan, and AI and digital futures. Scholars such as Associate Professor Darryl Sterk, Associate Professor Evan Dawley, Distinguished Professor Hong-zen Wang (王宏仁), and Professor Lee An-Ru (李安如) will deliver speeches and host seminars; see the full schedule for the Summer School and register here.

Call for Papers: The 4th International Conference on Taiwan Commercial Traditions: Institutional and Extra-Institutional Practice

Since the 17th century, Taiwan's economic development has unfolded within the framework of various institutions amid multiple regime changes. But Taiwanese merchants, enterprises, and civil networks were not merely passive recipients of policy. They sought opportunities within institutional boundaries, forged new paths beyond them, and employed various strategies to navigate, cross, and even reshape those boundaries themselves.

The "within" and "beyond" of institutions are not starkly opposed; rather, they are mutually permeable and interdependent, jointly shaping Taiwan’s commercial traditions over the past four centuries. The theme of this conference, "Institutional and Extra-Institutional Practice," aims to capture this multi-layered interaction and its inherent tensions. More info here in English and here in Mandarin.

Organizer: Academia Sinica Institute for Taiwan History

Call for Abstracts: Closes August 31, 2026

Notifications of Acceptance: October 31, 2026

Conference Dates: September 23-24, 2027

Venue: Conference Room 1, 3F, North Building, Humanities and Social Sciences Building, Academia Sinica

Call for Papers: UCI Global Asias International Conference

UC Irvine Global Asias will be holding its 5th annual conference in February of 2027, and is now accepting proposals for papers to be presented individually, in panels, at roundtables, and in other formats. A wide variety of topics are encouraged, especially art, islands, circulation, Indigeneity, and Southern California. Read more details on submitting proposals here.

Call for Proposals: Closes August 14, 2026

Notifications of Acceptance: Early September 2026

Conference Registration: Opens fall 2026

Conference Dates: February 18-19, 2027

Call for Papers: The Calculable and Cultures: The 27th Annual International Conference of the Cultural Studies Association

The Cultural Studies Association is now accepting abstracts for their 2027 Annual Conference, centered on the theme of “The Calculable and Cultures.”

Scholars from all fields are invited to discuss the relationship between the calculable and culture. “Calculable” here carries multiple meanings: process, calculation/computation, evaluation, algorithms, and speculation, as well as the boundaries of what is calculable, incalculable, and miscalculable, and the politics of each. These dispersed yet interrelated concepts traverse different fields and knowledges, including geopolitics, popular culture, the media environment, gender politics, art, and aesthetics.

Through multifaceted conversations on calculation and culture, we can examine how computational technology has altered the fundamental structures of the economy and politics, consider how various methods of “calculation” shape contemporary culture, and question where calculation and culture are one and the same. Read more details about submitting papers here.

Organizers: Cultural Studies Association, Graduate Institute of Taiwan Literature and Innovation in National Chung Cheng University

Call for Abstracts: Closes August 15, 2026

Notifications of Acceptance: September 2026

Deadline for full paper submissions: January 10, 2027

Conference Dates: March 13-14 (Sat.-Sun.), 2027

Venue: College of Humanities, National Chung Cheng University (Tsu-Yuan Building, No. 168號, Section 1, Daxue Rd, Lishou Village, Minxiong Township, Chiayi County)

Recent Publications in the Taiwan Studies Field

Re-staging Taiwan in the Global Cultural Cold War

Edited by Faye Lu, Shih Shu-mei

This book calls for a critical and expanded engagement between Taiwan studies and global Cold War studies, especially in cultural and historical terms. While Taiwan studies scholars have long challenged traditional Cold War frameworks for understanding Taiwan’s history and culture, sustained dialogues with global cultural Cold War studies remain relatively peripheral. By foregrounding Taiwan as a central site of inquiry, this book not only enables new dialogues with Cold War studies, but also demonstrates how Taiwan’s unique cultural and historical complexities are vital to rethinking the global cultural Cold War.

Building on as well as further complicating the “Cold War–Decolonization Nexus” framework often used to study cultural productions from U.S. allies in Asia, this book argues that to “de-Cold War” Taiwan is to see Taiwan as a subject and to ask questions about Taiwanese subjectivity through sustained inquiry and analysis of cultural and historical situations. Through interdisciplinary interventions, this volume rereads Taiwan’s Cold War past beyond and beneath dominant narratives of authoritarianism, Confucianism, Americanism, ethnic stereotypes, and Indigeneity, foregrounding lived experience, complexity, and inventiveness across local, transpacific, and global contexts. More info here.

The "Sinophone and Taiwan Studies" book series, centered on Taiwan Studies-related humanities and social science research, is open for new book submissions. Edited by Professor Shih Shu-mei (史書美) of UCLA and Professor Nikky Lin (林巾力) of NTNU, this book series aims to break Sinophone and Taiwan Studies out of old limiting frameworks and methodologies.

Browse the series and download the book proposal form here.

Routes of Taiwan Tea: Mobility, Borders, and Territoriality

by Hung Po-yi (洪伯邑)

University of Washington Press

Drawing on decades of fieldwork and extensive archival research, Hung Po-yi delves deep into the history of Taiwan's tea industry, from its roots in the Qing empire to its role in modern food nationalism. Hung shows how advocacy for Taiwanization occurs not only within Taiwan’s food scenes but also through cross-border exchanges. Oolong cultivation in Thailand’s highlands and bubble tea’s rise in Vietnam demonstrate how tea acts as a nonhuman agent, fostering connections and unsettling conventional notions of sovereignty. Through these routes, tea becomes more than agriculture; it becomes an instrument of diplomacy, a marker of authenticity, and a symbol of cultural pride. More info here.

Taiwan Short Story and Poetry Anthologies in Spanish

Edited by Shu-Ying Chang (張淑英) and Cheng-Fan Chen (陳正芳)

Visor Libros

The Literature From Taiwan (LiFT) series, produced by the National Museum of Taiwan Literature, is entering the Spanish-speaking market with a pair of anthologies published this month by Visor Libros in Spain.

Antología de cuentos taiwaneses contemporáneos《台灣當代小說選》is edited by Professor Luisa Shu-Ying Chang and Professor Luisa Cheng-Fan Chen, and contains eleven short stories by eleven writers, arranged in order of composition. Covering over seventy years of Taiwan’s literary history, these stories tackle themes such as the colonial experience, modernism, realism, eroticism, and gender identity.

Antología de la poesía taiwanesa contemporánea《台灣當代詩選》, also edited by Professors Chang and Chen, brings together forty-seven poems by forty-three poets, spanning from the Japanese colonial era to the early 21st century. Featuring both the original texts and Spanish translations, it is the most comprehensive collection of Taiwan poetry in Spanish to date.

The pair of volumes is expected to be followed up with the publication later this year of Breve historia de la litteratura taiwanesa contemporánea《臺灣當代文學簡史》.

Read NMTL's announcement here.

Taiwan - Eiland van groei en welvaart

Edited by Annalous Stiggelbout

Uitgeverij IJzer

Taiwan is a land of striking contrasts. Centuries ago, Indigenous peoples traded deer hides with Chinese and Japanese merchants; today, Taiwan produces the microchips that keep the digital world running. This book unfolds the story of a society that has continually reinvented itself—from Indigenous cultures and colonial influences to economic miracles and geopolitical challenges. With close attention to detail and a keen sense of history, this compilation of articles translated into Dutch takes readers through remote villages, thriving markets, and industrial landscapes. Read more here.

The Encyclopedia of Taiwan Studies Online

This encyclopedia introduces the multifaceted aspects of Taiwan's past and present in almost 600 entries, authored by more than 300 worldwide scholars who are experts in the archaeology, history, linguistics, anthropology, sociology, political science, international relations, Indigenous studies, literature, gender studies, media studies, cinema and documentary, music, and art of Taiwan.

The Encyclopedia can thus be seen as a portal to the multifaceted world of Taiwan, with all its vibrant culture, important developments, and radical transformations.

This version is the second online release of the Encyclopedia, containing 10 of its 15 sections. Release of the third and last installment is planned at the end of 2025, followed by the print version in 2026.

The Encyclopedia is edited by Hsin-Huang Michael Hsiao (Editor-in-Chief), Lung-Chih Chang, Kuei-Fen Chiu, Isabelle Cockel, Nancy Guy, Dafydd Fell, Ming-Sho Ho, Anru Lee, Lih-Yun Lin, Hsin-Tien Liao, Scott Simon, Ming-Yeh Rawnsley, Cheng-Hwa Tsang, Robert Weller, Alan Hao Yang, and Elizabeth Zeitoun (Associate Editors). Read more or browse the encyclopedia here.

Useful Content for Teaching and Research

2027 MOFA Taiwan Fellowship Open for Applications

The Taiwan Fellowship is an opportunity for social sciences or political science scholars who are studying Taiwan and Taiwan-related topics to visit and conduct advanced research at universities and institutions. Fellowships range from three months to one year, with airfare subsidy and a monthly stipend provided. Foreigners at overseas academic organizations, from PhD students all the way to full professors, and those studying Taiwan's foreign relations, are welcome to apply. More info here.

Applications Open: May 1 - June 30, 2026

Academia Sinica Institute of Taiwan History Accepting Research Fellow Applications

The Institute of Taiwan History at Academia Sinica is recruiting full-time research fellows specializing in the history of Taiwan. Applicants should possess a relevant Ph.D. and have full-time teaching or research experience at a university or research institution in Taiwan or abroad. Two or three applicants will be accepted. Applications should be submitted in physical form on or before August 31, 2026. For more information and full details on documents required, see the announcement on the Institute of Taiwan History website.

Applications Open: Until August 31, 2026

UCL GLobal Asias Seeking Postdoctoral Scholar in

Taiwanese American History

The Global Asias Research Cluster at the University of California, Irvine is opening applications for a postdoctoral scholar position in Taiwanese American History. This is a two-year postdoctoral position hosted in the Department of Asian American Studies. The successful candidate will work primarily under the supervision of Professor Christopher Fan, in original research into post-1965 Taiwanese American community history. Applicants must have a Ph.D. in history, cultural studies, or a related field, be fluent in both Mandarin and English, and be able to read and write at a scholarly level in both languages. More details on how to apply here.

Applications Open: Until July 8, 2026

Kao Chu-hua: The Story of a Singer Under Martial Law

Only with the recent opening of the National Archives have historians been able to access records uncovering the depths of the “White Terror” of Taiwan’s martial law era. A new documentary, “La Paloma,” reveals the layers of suffering experienced by popular singer Kao Chu-hua. Not only was her father executed by the Chinese Nationalist Kuomintang government, but she was also forced to use her body in the service of diplomacy. The film’s executive producer, Elaine Hsiung, shares the background to the documentary while encouraging audiences to watch the film with an open mind. Watch here.

Reading Guide:

Taiwan Travelogue

Winner of the 2026 International Booker Prize and the first such winner from Taiwan, this novel written by Yang Shuang Zi and translated into English by Lin King exposes the pervasive effects of colonialism through the relationship between a Japanese novelist and her Taiwanese interpreter, interwoven with food culture, travel, history, and questions of identity. This reading guide by the Booker Prizes introduces the plot, characters, and author and translator, as well as critical responses and points for discussion and consideration.

Open Access Articles from the International Journal of Taiwan Studies

There are currently fifty-one articles from the International Journal of Taiwan Studies which are open access. For a complete list of open access articles and links to download, click here, or find the latest issue of the journal here.

Taiwan Lit and the Global Sinosphere

Taiwan Lit, launched in the summer of 2020, is an online scholarly journal focusing on studies of Taiwan literature and culture. It is published by the Center for Taiwan Studies at the University of Texas at Austin.

We invite submissions in either English or Chinese. Please see the descriptions of each individual section for details.

"TransTaiwan: A Research Gateway to Taiwan Studies" (TARGTS)

Dr Isabelle Cockel from the University of Portsmouth, Secretary-General of European Association of Taiwan Studies introduces "TransTaiwan: A Research Gateway to Taiwan Studies" (TARGTS).

TARGTS now provides more than 700 annotated bibliographies of Taiwan Studies journal articles.