Written by Chiao-Yuan Jo Ko. Taiwan’s category of ‘overseas Chinese student’ may appear administrative, but it reflects a much longer political history. Tracing the system from the Cold War era to Taiwan’s democratisation, this article explores how education became tied to the ROC’s nation-building project, US geopolitical strategy, and shifting ideas of Chinese identity.
Written by Kristina Göransson. Focusing on homeschooling and other “opt-out” practices in Singapore and Taiwan, this article shows how families actively rework ideas of care, learning, and childhood. These alternative paths, while they offer an escape from exam pressures, also require intensive parental labour and remain shaped by inequalities in class and access.
Written by Amy Pei-jung Lee. This article traces the variety of writing systems employed in attempts to represent Indigenous languages, traditionally transmitted orally, in written form. In 2005, the Council of Indigenous Peoples, in conjunction with the Ministry of Education, officially promulgated standardised Romanised orthographic systems for the 42 dialects representing the then-12 languages recognised by the government. The implementation of these writing systems has given rise to further discussions concerning orthographic conventions.
Written by Apay Ai-yu Tang. Taiwan is home to sixteen Indigenous languages, most of which are severely endangered. Despite school programs, teaching remains challenging due to historical Mandarin-only policies and low motivation. The article reviews pedagogical approaches and examines the Silent Way, finding it can foster confidence, engagement, and language revitalisation in multilingual contexts through learner-driven discovery.
Written by Neeraj Mehra. The article argues that Taiwan’s scholarship diplomacy offers strategic technological benefits for India, particularly in semiconductors and applied research, yet remains underutilised by elite Indian institutions. The problem lies in institutional inertia and prestige bias, limiting long-term academic collaboration and knowledge transfer.
Written by Written by Felix Brender and Julian Vetterlein. The article reflects on TAP’s role in building a Taiwan Studies research ecosystem through travel grants, student engagement and interdisciplinary exchange. Through the perspectives of two research assistants, it shows how TAP supported full research cycles, international collaboration, policy dialogue and sustained academic interest in Taiwan beyond traditional funding structures.
