Taiwan universities leading vanguard of Hakka education

2019/12/23

Founded in 2003, the College of Hakka Studies at National Central University in northern Taiwan’s Taoyuan City is proud of its role in providing a dedicated knowledge system for the nation’s second-largest ethnic group. But its success is the culmination of years of campaigning and smart policymaking.

 When CHS launched it was the first college of its kind in the country, although it was quickly followed by centers at National Chiao Tung University in northern Taiwan’s Hsinchu City and National United University in the northern county of Miaoli in 2004 and 2006, respectively. Early years, however, lacked a dedicated source of financing.

 The institutions received a boost following the promulgation of the Hakka Basic Act in 2010, which states the government must provide funding for related research and help tertiary organizations establish Hakka colleges, departments, graduate institutes and degree programs.

 Chou Chin-hung, dean of CHS, said support offered since the act has significantly strengthened Hakka studies in Taiwan.

The years since have seen the establishment of the Graduate Institute of Hakka Culture Studies at National Kaohsiung Normal University, as well as the Graduate Institute of Hakka Cultural Industry and Hakka Industry Research Center at National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, both in southern Taiwan.

 According to Chou, this well-rounded academic ecosystem emerged out of decadeslong efforts by grassroots activists and community groups to foster research on Hakka culture. Since the Return Our Mother Tongue rally, a landmark 1988 demonstration in Taipei City, “Hakka cultural and language studies have garnered mainstream acceptance and increasing levels of institutional support,” he said.

 Hakka colleges and departments are playing a crucial role in rejuvenating the ethnic group’s language. At CHS, all freshmen and sophomores are required to take basic or advanced courses in the tongue. “Learning to speak Hakka facilitates more in-depth cultural understanding and analysis,” Chou said.

 CHS encourages its members to take inspiration from Taiwan’s rural Hakka heartlands. Under its Hakka Institute project, students and staffers work to build connections with and study in traditional communities such as Taoyuan’s Xinwu and Longtan districts, respectively.

 Long-term job prospects are also a key consideration of Hakka studies curriculums, with CHS encouraging cross-disciplinary studies and offering courses in areas ranging from audio-visual production and design to digital marketing and programming, Chou said. “We hope graduates can use their knowledge across a wide variety of sectors.”

Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)