The Kyushu Taiwan Studies Program is an inter-disciplinary initiative of Kyushu University, co-funded by the Ministry of Education, Taiwan (ROC).
Our aims
We aim to promote understanding of Taiwan amongst students, scholars and the wider community in Western Japan, through the following activities:
Regular introductory courses on Taiwanese history, culture, society and politics (undergraduate and postgraduate)
Intensive courses and seminars on Taiwan-related themes by invited lecturers
Exchanges for Kyushu University students and scholars with partner institutions in Taiwan
Opportunities for language study in Taiwan for Kyushu University students
Research on identity discourse, public culture and politics in contemporary Taiwan
organisation
The Kyushu Taiwan Program is operated by Kyushu University's Education Department on behalf of all faculties and departments within the university. It receives additional support from:
The university's International Students Centre
The 21st Century Program (within the university’s School of Interdisciplinary Science and Innovation)
The Program is managed by a Committee including representatives from various faculties across the university.
STAFF
Professor Edward Vickers (Program Director) researches the history and politics of education in contemporary East Asia. He also works on history, memory and public culture in China and neighbouring societies. His Taiwan-related research focuses mainly on the shifting representation of the island`s history and identity in school curricula and museums. He is currently collaborating with scholars at National Taiwan Normal University and National Taiwan University on related projects. His recent work includes a comparative analysis of the representation of Koxinga (鄭成功) in heritage sites and museums on Taiwan, in Kyushu and in mainland China.
(email: vickers.edward.645@m.kyushu-u.ac.jp)
Dr. Shiho Maehara (Research Assistant Professor) researches nationalism in East Asia; national identity issues in Taiwan; Taiwan and Korea under Japanese rule; and Taiwanese and Korean sentiment towards Japan. She holds a doctorate from National Taiwan University, where she researched the conceptualization of national identity in the political discourse of President Lee Teng-hui during the 1990s. In 2016-2017, she translated into Japanese two books by the current President, Tsai Ing-wen.
(email: shiho214shiho@gmail.com)