Fellowship scholars present research results at NCL

2016/12/15

Foreign scholars presented their research results Dec. 13 at the National Central Library in Taipei City as part of the 2016 Taiwan Fellowship program, a public diplomacy initiative intended to facilitate connections with overseas academics and opinion makers.

The fellowship was launched by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2010 as a grant encouraging foreign professors, scientists and doctoral students to conduct research projects at local universities or research institutes. The scholars study subjects regarding Taiwan, mainland China, cross-strait relations, the Asia-Pacific region and Sinology, according to Owen Chyi-wang Hsieh from the MOFA’s Department of Policy Planning.

For the last of this year’s quarterly Taiwan Fellowship seminars, four scholars from universities in Australia, Belgium, Italy and Russia gave their views and observations on topics including domestic and foreign policies on both sides of the Taiwan Strait as well as the role of internet media and networking platforms in local social movements.

Among those presenting their work was Davide Vacatello, a postdoctoral researcher from Sapienza University of Rome who studies the PTT bulletin board system. Created in 1995 at National Taiwan University as an academic network, PTT has grown into one of the most influential online platforms in Taiwan, especially among the younger generation.

“I argue that current online discussions are contributing to the formation of a distinctive national identity, especially among the youth, by reinforcing indigenous practices, rhetoric and themes,” said Vacatello, who specializes in the field of internet culture in Mandarin-speaking societies. His host institution is the Graduate Institute of Mass Communication at National Taiwan Normal University in Taipei.

Since its inception, the Taiwan Fellowship has attracted 692 scholars from 70 countries for stays lasting from three months to a year. Recipients are awarded monthly stipends ranging from NT$50,000 (US$1,570) to NT$60,000 and round-trip airfare. Fellowship participants are also assisted by NCL’s Center for Chinese Studies.

According to the MOFA, the fellowship has contributed to the cultivation of international opinion leaders knowledgeable in Taiwan affairs, which in turn helps expand Taiwan’s presence on the global stage.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=250354&ctNode=2194&mp=9)