By Taiwan Association of Cultural Policy Studies.
Image credit: Science, Technology and Engineering.jpg by Geralt / Wikimedia: Public Domain.
The special issue of Taiwan Insight presents five cultural policy strategies that emerged from the four expert forums co-convened by the Taiwan Association of Cultural Policy Studies (TACPS) and the Foundation for Future Generations, Taiwan. Through the collective efforts of scholars, practitioners, and professionals in various fields, it is hoped that the ideas will allow Taiwan’s future leaders to better understand and address the pressing issues in current cultural policies, especially in their political agendas for the upcoming elections, and provide insights for the next generations of citizens. This article diverges from the focus of other strategies and draws attention to the potential problems associated with the emergence of new technology. It engages in a conversation with Taiwan’s current cultural policies and discusses the importance of creating a sustainable environment responsive to the rapidly changing technological landscape.
The rapid advancement of digital technology has brought immense convenience to human society, transcending geographical boundaries that national and geographical divisions once imposed. Information, communication, and cultural content, as well as film, television, and audio products, can now circulate across vast distances, expanding the reach and influence of transnational culture. Nations that are actively developing cultural technology and communication systems are faced with multifaceted concerns, including issues related to information security, the preservation of national identity and voice, the cultural rights of their citizens, democratic participation, collective memory, artistic creation, labour security, as well as economic and industrial considerations. Cultural diplomacy and the cultivation of soft power are two prominent examples of the political, social, and cultural dimensions that have become crucial within the realm of cultural policy.
In 2019, the Ministry of Culture drafted the “Culture Technology Policy Agenda” as the primary guideline for shaping Taiwan’s policies at the intersection of culture, science, and technology. Two major visions drive this agenda: firstly, leveraging digital technology to effectively enhance cultural engagement, safeguard diversity and equality, and foster a digital cultural civil society; and secondly, reinforcing the production of indigenous culture in the digital age, upholding cultural dissemination rights, and enhancing the nation’s cultural soft power.
As four years have passed since the inception of the “Culture Technology Policy Agenda,” the question arises: to what extent has this agenda been progressively implemented? What specific policy instruments and approaches are required to support and respond to these objectives? Furthermore, what governance structures and policy recommendations should be put forward for the next phase in Taiwan’s cultural and technological development?
Before moving on to the next phase, let us first set the current context. To begin with, Taiwan has faced challenges in establishing digital and cultural technology infrastructure from 2019 to 2023. Regardless of how digital platforms are managed, the free flow of information, data construction, and the collection of Big Data are constrained by transnational digital technologies, making it challenging to create local and reliable digital environments and facilities. Additionally, the division of responsibilities among government agencies has been a source of complexity. The Ministry of Digital Affairs, the Ministry of Culture, and the National Communications Commission have been tasked with managing the country’s digital initiatives. However, these agencies still need to develop the expertise and innovative capacities required for cultural technology and cultural communication.
Moreover, Taiwan grapples with a significant shortage of talent in the cultural, scientific, and technological fields. Those in the science and technology sector often lack an understanding of culture and art, while cultural artists frequently lack a grasp of science and technology. There is an urgent need for a platform or system that can mediate, bridge, and connect these two industries. Taiwan’s technology industry boasts high incomes and substantial room for expansion, mainly due to the considerable structural disparity between the cultural and technology sectors. The cultural industry, on the other hand, experiences lower profits and challenging labour conditions, leading most potential cultural talents to migrate to the technology industry. These factors have hindered the development of Taiwan’s cultural technology and cultural communication.
To better support and foster an environment for developing cultural technology and communication in Taiwan, we outline some specific policy recommendations.
First of all, cultural technology and communication rely on a stable and robust public infrastructure as their foundational cornerstone. It is only through dependable infrastructure, including the expansion of public broadcasting organizations, the establishment of Taiwan’s digital platform, the convergence of independent communication, the advancement of consumer experience research and cultural perception, the accumulation and effective management of Big Data, and the nurturing of the industrial ecosystem, that Taiwan can genuinely foster the growth and success of its cultural technology and cultural communication endeavours.
Following the building of infrastructure, it is also crucial to institutionalize cultural technology and digital governance. Cultural technology governance is intricately intertwined with digital and technology governance. However, many aspects of digital governance remain subjects of ongoing debate and societal consensus on issues like digital streaming, personal information privacy, data collection, data usage, copyright, information security, the dominance of transnational tech giants, and the formulation of digital legislation is yet to be fully established. Given this context, it is not realistic for cultural technology governance to flourish independently. Moreover, it is an even more formidable task to establish Taiwan’s cultural identity.
Presently, even before the formal approval of the draft “Cultural Technology Policy Agenda”, there is a need for an evolved version—”Cultural Technology Policy Agenda 2.0″—that focuses on promoting the creation and dissemination of cultural technology, rooted in the core values of fostering and safeguarding Taiwan’s cultural sovereignty and the implementation of diverse cultural rights. It is recommended that the Executive Yuan establish an inter-ministerial cultural technology platform, emphasizing cross-ministerial collaboration, with the cultural discipline/field as its principal domain complemented by technology. The Organizational Act of the Ministry of Culture should also undergo adjustments. The information, communication, and related departments within the Ministry of Culture could be rebranded as the “Foresight Division.”
An intermediary bridge between cultural art and cultural technology needs to be built, which includes developing an experimental platform that serves as a nexus for technology and art, helping to bridge the communication gap between technological experts and cultural specialists, establishing an integrated approach to foster collaboration in research and development between knowledge management and artistic teams; and enhancing the comprehension and proficiency in digital concepts and tools among cultural technology experts and artists. The objective is to facilitate collaborative efforts between these two groups and uncover innovative forms of artistic expression.
Similar to other aspects that contribute to Taiwan’s cultural sustainability, as stated in other articles in this special issue, there is a need to cultivate and develop interdisciplinary cultural and scientific talents in order to solidify and sustain the bridge between culture and technology. This can be achieved through enhancing the cultural and technological competencies of public servants, facilitating technology experts’ understanding of consumer experiences and artistic creation, reinforcing cultural technology training and fostering imaginative skills in high schools and universities, establishing interdisciplinary cultural technology departments alongside existing departments, and preventing any deterioration in cultural and arts programs in higher education.
Finally, the reason cultural technology and communication sustainability are essential in Taiwan’s society is that they are able to advance public services and citizen engagement. Cultural technology has the potential to enhance public services and streamline citizen participation, fostering a culture of ongoing deliberation and bolstering democracy through transparency, the integration of powers and responsibilities, and efficient distribution technology. It is imperative to avoid relying on outdated systems to manage the creativity of cultural technology, as this could hinder societal and cultural diversity. In sum, with a more substantial cultural technology agenda that evolves with Taiwan’s society, the development of cultural technology and cultural communication will be more sustainable and able to cater to societal needs.
The special issue “The Sustainability of Culture and Democratic Governance in Taiwan” is a critical report that outlines the five strategies for sustainable cultural policy. The report is compiled and organized by Dr Jerry C. Y. Liu (Graduate School of Arts Management and Cultural Policy, National Taiwan University of Arts), Dr Fang-Jay Rong (Department of Environmental and Cultural Resources, National Tsing Hua University), Dr Chih-hung Wang (Graduate Institute of Building and Planning, National Taiwan University), Dr Li-Jung Wang (Department of Hakka Language and Social Science, National Central University), and Dr Chieh-Hsiang Wu (Department of Arts in the National Changhua University of Education; Director of TACPS). The articles in this special issue are edited by Chee-Hann Wu with slight modifications made to enhance the readability for readers of Taiwan Insight.
This article was published as part of a special issue on Cultural Sustainability and Democratic Governance in Taiwan.
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