The Ministry of Education Taiwan and The Australian National University (ANU) have been working together since 2013 on the Taiwan Studies Program, which broadens the horizons of Australian students and the public on Taiwan’s politics, economic growth, society, language, history and culture..
The 2023 ANU Taiwan Update is an initiative under the ANU Taiwan Studies Program 2022-25. On 5 to 6 September, the event was held at ANU in-person and make the latest development accessible to the public on Taiwan’s politics, economic, security and international trends.
This year’s Update program began on the evening of Tuesday 5 September with an opening reception. Professor Sally Wheeler, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of ANU, and Mr. Douglas Hsu, Representative of Taipei Economic and Cultural office to Australia, were invited to make their remarks.
Representative Hsu mentioned in his remarks, Taiwan government has carefully managed and navigated toward a path of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. With the shortage of semiconductor chips globally, Taiwan’s semiconductor industry has remained resilient to contribute its role to ensure a safe and reliable global supply chain. He urged the audience not just consider Taiwan in the context of potential contingencies but to discover Taiwan by exploring its rich culture and inclusiveness that respect human rights, gender equality and legalization of same sex marriage.
The opening reception was followed by a keynote speech titled From “Austere Rock” to “Most Dangerous place on Earth” by Mr. Brian Hioe, one of the founding editors of New Bloom. He analyzed Taiwan’s security threats and international opinions.
The Taiwan Update program continued on 6 September by three keynote sessions and a film screening: A third Party on the Rise: Anti-establishment but not populist by Associate Professor Kai-Ping Huang, National Taiwan University, The Taiwan-China-US Triangle: Risks Rising by Mr. Harry Genn, former Australian diplomat and intelligence analyst, Is TSMC Taiwan’s ‘silicon shield’? from the semiconductor supply chain to US-China-Taiwan relations by Associate professor Chun-Yi Lee, University of Nottingham and A Letter to A’ma film screening. They were all well received with audience interaction.
A group photo of scholars and experts – Professor Sally Wheeler, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of ANU, Mr. Harry Genn, former Australian diplomat and intelligence analyst, Ms. Regine Chen, Taiwan Deputy Representative to Australia, Ms. Jill Lai, Executive Director of Education Division at Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Australia, Associate Professor Kai-Ping Huang, Associate Professor Chun-Yi Lee, and Mr. Brian Hioe.
Mr. Douglas Hsu, Taiwan Representative to Australia, was invited to make remarks at the opening of 2023 ANU Taiwan Update.
Four keynote speeches and a Taiwan film screening followed and the event was well received with audience interaction.
(photos provided by the Australian Centre on China in the World, ANU)
