Ever since the ROC walked out of the U.N. in October 1971, devising effective strategies for boosting the nation’s international standing has been one of the greatest challenges facing central government officials in Taiwan. Of course, there are many ways to skin a cat when it comes to this issue, but the secret—as Texan folk wisdom dictates—is to get the job done without splattering blood all over the walls.
To date, all manner of approaches have been employed by the ROC government in achieving this goal, with varying degrees of success. But the one with the most promise involves harnessing Taiwan’s considerable soft power reserves to showcase the distinct culture of the ROC abroad.
The Taiwan Academy concept, unveiled by ROC President Ma Ying-jeou during his 2008 presidential election campaign, is today the responsibility of the Cabinet-level Council for Cultural Affairs. The CCA has moved mountains in realizing this innovative program, overseeing the opening last year of academy branches in Houston, Los Angeles and New York.
The next stage of the council’s plans involves setting up academy branches in the U.K. with Nottingham University, Oxford University and the University of London. The CCA has identified these prestigious tertiary institutions as perfect partners for breaking this concept in the British Isles and capitalizing on the ROC’s longstanding ties with the U.K.
The first cab off the rank is the University of London, which agreed in December 2011 to throw the considerable resources of its School of Oriental and African Studies behind the initiative. The academy has been open for close to a month, and is attracting record numbers of students courtesy of a comprehensive web-based advertising campaign.
For the government, the Taiwan Academy concept is significant as it enables efforts aimed at promoting ROC culture and the study of Mandarin with traditional characters to go to the next level. The initiative also cashes in on the nation’s leadership in the fields of Sinology, traditional Chinese culture and the arts to facilitate cooperative course design and teaching projects with overseas Mandarin-learning institutions.
But equally important, the academy is poised to boost the ROC’s online visibility through the launch of a Chinese e-learning website. The service utilizes Taiwan’s high-tech nous to offer users a wide selection of content and learning tools to assist in their educational endeavors. It will be complemented by a digital Taiwan studies and Sinology database created by leading institutions such as Academia Sinica and National Taiwan University.
In addition, the academy will offer scholarships worth over NT$640 million (US$21.1 million) per year to encourage involvement in Taiwan and Sinology studies, as well as academic research on Chinese languages. This is an important part of the concept as it sows the seed of grassroots academic interest in the nation.
Expanding access to the ROC’s vast academic assets helps boost the country’s credentials as an international hub of learning excellence, allowing institutions nationwide to receive greater exposure as more people from around the world strive to study traditional Chinese culture in the 21st century.
The CCA also plans to launch academy branches in other parts of Europe, Central Asia, India and South America as a way of boosting exports of Taiwan culture to these regions. At last count, the council had inked letters of intent with educational institutes in 30 countries, with close to a dozen more in the works. The initiative is seen as the best way of furthering the nation’s cause in these parts of the world where the government and Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) are putting in the hard yards to develop new export opportunities.
While the speed with which the Taiwan Academy concept is being rolled out could be viewed as a response to mainland China’s aggressive drive to corner the Chinese studies market through its Confucius Institutes, in reality it is so much more than that. The government places an absolute premium on letting the world know about ROC history, as well as sharing the nation’s vast treasure trove of Chinese literature written in traditional characters.
But the academy initiative is not being developed in isolation. The program goes hand in hand with the council’s drive to establish eight overseas cultural centers by 2014, with three of these expected to be up and running by June.
It is envisaged that the centers, which focus on assisting Taiwan performance groups secure local bookings, will achieve great things when it comes to highlighting the vitality and allure of ROC culture. Although locations are yet to announced, suffice it to say the centers are destined for countries and regions boasting vibrant cultural landscapes where the CCA does not maintain a presence.
With the council at the vanguard of efforts to raise Taiwan’s profile, the country is on track to enjoying more of the global spotlight and furthering its interests abroad. Cultural distinctiveness is what sets nations apart from the pack, and the government will continue doing what it takes to ensure Taiwan stands out and enjoys its rightful place in the international sun.
John Wren is a freelance writer based in Keelung. These views are the author’s and not necessarily those of Taiwan Today. Copyright © 2012 by John Wren
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mail.gio.gov.tw