Ministry of Education of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the University of Toronto have collaborated to support the Global Taiwan Studies initiative at the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto. Director General of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, Toronto Catherine Y. M. Hsu, on behalf of the Ministry of Education (MOE), signed the cooperation agreement with Director of the Munk School Stephen J. Toope on June 6, 2016. Starting from September of this year, the University of Toronto will set up a Global Taiwan Studies Seminar Course, initiate Taiwan Research Project, provide Taiwan Studies Student Scholarships, host Taiwan Studies academic events and activities and publish Taiwan Studies related papers and research findings. This three-year cooperation project will help further the international understanding of Taiwan and create a new chapter in the collaboration between the institutions of higher education in Taiwan and Canada.
In his remarks, Director Toope emphasized that the University of Toronto is considered the most prestigious educational institute in Canada and it values the importance of Taiwan Studies. Therefore, he is delighted to see the cooperation between the Munk School of Global Affairs, MOE and Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Toronto. As an international-law scholar, Director Toope himself knows well the unique nature of Taiwan’s international status, which makes the case of Taiwan so worth studying. Professor Joseph Wong remarked that setting up the Taiwan Studies program at the University is of great significance. He would like to hold conferences, seminars and courses about Taiwan in a global context. He would also like to publish an e-Journal regularly, so people would create discussion about Taiwan all the time, not just once in a while. President of the North American Taiwan Studies Association Ching-fang Hsu, representing the University’s students, briefly summarized the global development of Taiwan Studies in the past two decades. She told the audience that as a Ph.D. student at the University of Toronto, she was thrilled about the continuous growth of Taiwan Studies in Canada.
DG Hsu, in her remarks, thanked the University of Toronto for collaborating with the Ministry of Education in promoting the Global Taiwan Studies initiative and involving a wide range of disciplines, especially undertaking them in a global context. She believed that all these efforts would not only help Canadian students but also people around the world further understand Taiwan’s political, economic, social and cultural transformation and development. DG Hsu also encouraged people from the local Taiwanese community to render their support to help advance Canadian academia and the general public’s understanding of Taiwan and Taiwanese immigrants’ footprints and developments in Canada.
Those who attended the signing ceremony included professors and students of the University of Toronto, Commissioners of the ROC Overseas Community Affairs, leaders of local Taiwanese communities, media and staff members of TECO Toronto, totaling more than 50 people. During the ceremony, all the guests enjoyed watching a slideshow that retraced steps of the past Global Taiwan Studies events jointly hosted by TECO Toronto and the University’s Asian Institute. Part of the slideshow included documentaries filmed by the University’s students during their Taiwan trips.
TECO Toronto DG Hsu (right), on behalf of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of China (Taiwan), signs Cooperation Agreement on the Global Taiwan Studies Initiative with Director Toope (left) of the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto.
DG Hsu (2nd from the left) poses with Director Toope (2nd from the right), Professor Wong (left) and President Hsu (right).