Building A New Academic Field: The Institutionalisation Of Taiwan Studies In Europe
The emergence of Taiwan Studies as a new area study in Europe is an intriguing phenomenon. It started more or less "from scratch" at a time when the area studies model was seriously challenged in academic debates. Since then the feld has rapidly expanded in Europe. This paper seeks to a...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Penerbit Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM Press)
2017
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| Online Access: | http://eprints.usm.my/41268/ http://eprints.usm.my/41268/1/IJAPS-132_ART6.pdf |
| Summary: | The emergence of Taiwan Studies as a new area study in Europe is an intriguing
phenomenon. It started more or less "from scratch" at a time when the area
studies model was seriously challenged in academic debates. Since then the feld
has rapidly expanded in Europe. This paper seeks to analyse the factors that have
facilitated the successful institutionalisation of academic Taiwan Studies in a region
that otherwise does not have close relations with Taiwan. It argues that fnancial
overtures from Taiwan have found fertile ground in Europe, which has to do with
the distinct Asian Studies tradition on the continent, a major restructuring of the
university feld since the 1990s, and the specifc historical circumstances of Taiwan's
political and social transformation in the late 20th and early 21st century. While
these wider developments have provided advantageous circumstances, the successful
construction and institutionalisation of a new thriving academic feld can only be
explained by the strong personal commitment of key Taiwan scholars in Europe and
the skilful integration of individual efforts through the creation of a Europe wide
network. |
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