Written by Ni-Chen Lin and Chih-Wei Hsieh. Two NTU students, Ni-Chen and Chih-Wei, joined Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank through the NTU Overseas Internship Programme. Their experiences, studying seed survival and tree seed diversity, broadened their global perspectives on conservation. Returning to Taiwan, both apply Kew’s collaborative, research-driven values in academic and governmental roles.
Written by Ssu-Han (Evelyn) Chiu. This article recounts the author’s 2024 internship at Kew Gardens. Working with Kew’s Science Education Team, the author explored citizen science initiatives, attended the International Botanical Congress, and co-organised a workshop on public engagement, which reshaped the author’s understanding of collaboration, communication, and innovation in global plant science.
Written by Richard Gianfrancesco. This article introduces the collaboration between the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the National Taiwan University (NTU) to train future biodiversity experts. Beginning in 2022, the partnership has provided NTU students with research placements in Kew’s collections and laboratories.
Written by Neeraj Mehra. This article examines the growing educational partnership between Taiwan and India as a strategic soft power tool. Nearly 1,500 Indian students now study in Taiwan, primarily in engineering and technology fields, facilitated by a 2010 MOU and Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy. This collaboration offers complementary benefits: Taiwan’s semiconductor expertise paired with India’s demographic dividend and emerging tech sector. While recent high-level delegations signal strong governmental commitment, challenges remain in administrative barriers, visa processes, and funding stability. The author argues that with proper institutional mechanisms, this partnership could become a major Indo-Pacific academic alliance serving both knowledge diplomacy and technological self-reliance.
Written by Meiyuan Kou. This article traces the history of the Kinmen Association (Fuji Temple) in Saigon-Cholon, established in the early 1970s as both a religious hub for Kinmen migrants and a channel of Taiwan’s soft diplomacy in South Vietnam. It examines how this small community institution fostered transnational ties, cultural continuity, and identity preservation across shifting political landscapes before and after 1975.
Written by Ting-Sian Liu and Yi-Ting Chung. This article reflects on the NATSA 2025 Closing Forum, honoring 30 years of community-building. Invited scholars offered critical feedback on NATSA’s history, its shift from politics toward decoloniality, queerness, and care, and the conference’s “otherwise” theme. The discussion emphasised activist-driven scholarship and collective labour as acts of care and solidarity for the future of Taiwan Studies.
