Dr. Robert G. Lee, Associate Professor of American Studies, will be the university’s coordinator of the Nexus Taiwan program. The program will develop new Taiwan Studies related courses, hold international seminars, and the two parties to the MOU will jointly publish research papers. Brown University will be hosting the first related Taiwan Studies conference, “Repositioning Taiwan and the United States, from Formosa to the Present” in April, at which invited international scholars engaged in Taiwan Studies will share and discuss their research findings.

Cynthia Huang looks forward to the Nexus Taiwan program creating opportunities for Brown University faculty and students to better understand Taiwan’s history and culture. Brown University and the Ministry of Education will encourage further cooperation and scholarly exchanges between institutions of higher education in Taiwan and Brown University. This is expected to encourage even greater numbers of Brown students to study in Taiwan.

The Ministry of Education has been promoting universities in Taiwan engaging in joint research with top universities around the world since 2003. Boston University was the first university in the New England region to sign an MOU with the Ministry, in 2006. That led to several Taiwan Studies related courses and regular forums being set up. Brown University is the second university in the New England region to offer a similar program.