Ms. Cynthia Huang, Director of the Education Division at TECO-Boston, was invited to speak at the conference’s opening session. Ms. Huang explained that the Nexus Taiwan initiative had come about as a result of the Taiwan Studies Program established by the Ministry of Education to enhance Taiwan Studies globally. Taiwan Studies programs have already now been cooperatively established in 36 colleges and universities around the world. Ms. Huang said she looks forward to seeing the Nexus Taiwan Program become a driving force that will create great opportunities for faculty and students at Brown University to better understand Taiwan’s history and culture, and that it will build further cooperation between Brown University and universities in Taiwan.

Dr. Robert G. Lee, Associate Professor of American Studies and leader of the Nexus Taiwan Program, said that the Department of American Studies at Brown University has conducted research on the impact and significance of the Asia-Pacific on American history, society and culture for more than 20 years, and it has also established an Asian American Studies program and an Asia-Pacific and the Making of the Americas program to further explore the relationships between the Asia-Pacific and the Americas.

Dr. Hsiung Ping-Chen, a professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, delivered the keynote address: “If Taiwan, Then What? Reflections on Disciplinarity” and expressed a range of different views arising from Taiwan research in the fields of anthropology, linguistics, and culture.

Future seminars will cover topics such as immigration issues between Taiwan and the United States, Taiwan’s military role during the Cold War, Native Taiwanese and Native Americans issues, and Taiwan and Pan-Pacific popular cultures.