Morehouse "Why Taiwan Matters" Presentation

Dr. Shelly Rigger presented her book "Why Taiwan Matters"

Dr. Shelly Rigger, Brown Professor at Davidson College in Charlotte, N.C., gave a presentation about Taiwan at the Thomas J. Kilgore, Jr. Campus Center at Morehouse College at 11 a.m. April 10. Dr. Rigger has written a new book, “Why Taiwan Matters: Small Island, Global Powerhouse.”

Students and faculty members from many departments turned out to hear Dr. Rigger, a renowned expert on East Asian politics who has been studying and visiting Taiwan for nearly three decades. In her Power Point presentation, Dr. Rigger gave valuable insights on Taiwan’s importance to regional stability in northeast Asia, and the global economy, being a leader in high-tech manufacturing. She talked about the challenges of Taiwan’s relationship with mainland China and how attitudes about independence and unification have changed over time on the part of the mainland and Taiwan alike. She made a compelling case for the validity of Taiwan’s national identity, and touched on USA policies towards Taiwan, how they have changed and evolved over time, and the US’s stance on the Taiwan/China issue.

At the end of her presentation, Dr. Rigger took questions from the audience and signed her book. The event was sponsored by TECO, the Morehouse Chinese Studies Program, and the Asian and Middle Eastern Studies Program.