When it first emerged, the field of Taiwan Studies was viewed as a niche, peripheral subfield within China Studies. When Taiwan was discussed, it was always from the narrow angle of cross-strait security, and always in relation to China. Today, Taiwan Studies, while still niche, is no longer a peripheral subtopic but a thriving field of inquiry that offers valuable insights across a wide variety of disciplines. Having expanded beyond a cross-straits framing, Taiwan Studies today provide important case studies for disciplines as varied and disparate as political science, media studies, anthropology, religious studies, international law, and many others. But Taiwan Studies did not become more academically relevant across different disciplines, and more institutionally independent as a matter of course. Rather, it took the passion and hard work of many Taiwan Studies scholars, some of whom will be introduced in this special issue.
Aleksandrs Gross conducted the interviews and wrote the articles that make up this special issue to map out pathways aspiring scholars can follow to enter the field of Taiwan Studies. Despite the field’s growth, scholars passionate about Taiwan Studies still face unique obstacles in integrating their expertise into broader academic discussions, finding stable academic jobs closely connected to their specialisation in Taiwan Studies, and securing funding for Taiwan-related research.
Against this backdrop, each article of this special issue seeks to understand how others have overcome such obstacles before, when the field was even smaller. The special issue does this not only by trying to understand the motivations, opportunities, and skill sets that enabled these scholars to pursue careers in Taiwan Studies, but also by introducing their distinctive projects and approaches to Taiwan Studies, which have shaped the field today and have been crucial for sustaining deep, long-term engagement. By foregrounding these individual career trajectories, the issue reflects on what each scholar’s experience can teach us about entering Taiwan Studies today.
The Wrong Place at the Right Time Written by Aleksandrs Gross.
The Emergence of the Taiwan Studies Movement Written by Aleksandrs Gross.
Following Interests, Forging a Field: The Career of Ming-yeh Rawnsley Written by Aleksandrs Gross.
Defining Taiwan Studies Written by Aleksandrs Gross.
Researching Taiwan by Avoiding the Taiwan Gaze Written by Aleksandrs Gross and Gunter Schubert.
Taiwan Insight 