NTNU International Taiwan Studies Centre Podcast

Should historians judge the actions of historical figures? Craig Smith, Assistant Professor at the Asia Institute, University of Melbourne, joins us to talk about his research on Taiwanese translators during the Japanese colonial era. He takes us beyond the simple labels of 'collaborator' or 'patriot' that were often thrown around, to help us understand the complexities of what life was like for these translators/interpreters and the multiple goals that they were pursuing during that period.Podcast from NTNU International Taiwan Studies CentreSign up for our Bimonthly newsletter to keep up with all things Taiwan Studies from across the world: Newsletter Signup Form

Professor Michael Hsiao of Academia Sinica and Head of the Taiwan Asia Exchange Foundation tells the story behind the Encyclopaedia of Taiwan Studies. Having decades of experience in the field of Taiwan Studies, he gives a well-rounded picture of the state of the field and outlines just how ambitious this encyclopaedia project was, with 400 different authors and over 600 entries!Browse the online version of the Encyclopaedia of Taiwan Studies here.Podcast from NTNU International Taiwan Studies CentreSign up for our Bimonthly newsletter to keep up with all things Taiwan Studies from across the world: Newsletter Signup Form

Professor Dafydd Fell from SOAS, University of London, discusses his brand new book 'The Twilight Years of Taiwan's Sugar Railways: The World's Most Extraordinary Industrial Railway.' He shares fascinating stories and experiences from the years that he spent investigating, documenting and photographing Taiwan's sugar railways! From waiting for hours in a remote location to get the perfect shot of a particular locomotive, to being invited on-board a sugar train for an unforgettable journey, listen in to hear what it was like as a British rail enthusiast with a foldable bike in Taiwan in the 1990's.Co-authored with Wang Hsiang, the book documents the incredible status of Taiwan's sugar railways that once boasted over 3000KM of track, the rapid demise through the 1990's and beyond, with some final seeds of hope for the preservation and restoration of some lines for the future.Professor Fell is holding book launch events in:Kaohsiung, Jan 3rd, 13:30 - 15:30pm, Takao Railway Museum (舊打狗驛故事館資料室)Taichung, Jan 4th, 14:00 - 16:00pm, Taichung (台中文化資產園區）衡道堂B05小禮堂Taipei, Jan 8th, 19:00 - 21:00pm, Turn Left Bookshop 左轉有書（台北市鎮江街3-1號）Podcast from NTNU International Taiwan Studies CentreSign up for our Bimonthly newsletter to keep up with all things Taiwan Studies from across the world: Newsletter Signup Form

Professor Ti-Han Chang from SOAS, University of London talks about her recently released, co-edited book "Reorientating Taiwan: Ocean, Selfhood and the Pacific." Themes include how the Pacific Ocean plays a key role in identity formation for Taiwanese, from ancient times right through to the present, as well as how art, literature, anthropology and ecology converge when looking at Taiwan from an oceanic perspective. She also discusses her recent move to SOAS and some of the exciting projects up ahead!Podcast from NTNU International Taiwan Studies CentreSign up for our Bimonthly newsletter to keep up with all things Taiwan Studies from across the world: Newsletter Signup Form

Have you ever heard of the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center? Professor James Lin from the University of Washington explains what this was while also sharing the backstory to his latest book. In doing so, he demonstrates how Taiwan's early development missions impacted Taiwan's own population in ways that echo through to the present.James Lin is a historian of Taiwan and its interactions with the world in the 20th century. His book, “In the Global Vanguard: Agrarian Development and the Making of Modern Taiwan” (University of California Press 2025), examines rural reform and agricultural science in China and Taiwan from the early 20th century through the postwar era, then its subsequent re-imagining during Taiwanese development missions to Africa, Asia, and Latin America from the 1950s onward.Podcast from NTNU International Taiwan Studies CentreNTNU ITSC Newsletter Signup Form

After a quick recap of its history, Professor Khóo Huī-Lû from NTNU discusses the idea that Taiwanese is a sleeping language that needs to be awoken! She gives some examples of how she looks to awaken the language in an everyday context, with a strong sense that the awakening of Taiwanese would actually benefit the revitalisation of minority languages (such as Hakka and Indigenous languages) in Taiwan.Podcast from NTNU International Taiwan Studies CentreNTNU ITSC Newsletter Signup Form

Professor Lau Seng-hian from the department of Taiwan Culture, Languages and Literature at NTNU, discusses how 'Taiwanese' has evolved as a language, using its syntax to challenge commonly held assumptions about the makeup and structure of the language and revealing a new side to the character of Taiwanese. He also identifies the three key criteria for language-naming, arguing that according to international norms, 'Taiwanese' is indeed the correct name for this language! Podcast from NTNU International Taiwan Studies Centre NTNU ITSC Newsletter Signup Form

What is settler colonialism and how are its impacts still evident in the societies of the U.S. and Taiwan? As members of settler colonial societies, is it possible to speak up about some of the problems without appropriating Indigenous people's causes and knowledge?Professor Shih Shu-mei shares inspirational insights into the ways in which comparative literature can have a voice on these issues. Her innovative method of "comparison as relation" provides a way of equalising literature from all peoples and nations, a significant step away from the traditional Eurocentric method of comparison. She also discusses the role of Indigenous knowledge as a potential key not just for Taiwan's future but also for addressing global problems.Finally, there is a challenge for each of us to "shed our privileges" and centre Indigenous issues, not only for the sake of justice, but also for the sake of our common future.Shu-mei Shih, Professor of Comparative Literature, Asian Languages and Cultures, and Asian American Studies, is the Irving and Jean Stone Chair Professor in Humanities. She was the inaugural holder of the Edward W. Said Professorship in Comparative Literature (2019-2022) and the past President of the American Comparative Literature Association (2021-2022).Podcast from NTNU International Taiwan Studies Centre NTNU ITSC Newsletter Signup Form

How does colonialism continue to impact Nigeria and Taiwan? Are there some similarities, or lessons that can be learnt from the experiences of these countries?Our host, Josh, talks with Michael Ugwueze about his time in Taiwan and some of the insights that he has when it comes to issues of trying to overcome the baggage of a colonial past. They also discuss China's deep presence in Africa and the implications for Taiwan, with some suggestions on how Taiwan could be looking to increase its own visibility in Africa.Michael Ugwueze is an associate professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He specializes in International Relations and his research interests span the frontiers of security, conflict, peace and development studies. In 2024, he was a Visiting Scholar in the Taiwan Center for Security Studies, National Chengchi University.Podcast from NTNU International Taiwan Studies CentreNewsletter Signup Form

Summer 2024 was the 400th anniversary of the birth of Zheng Cheng-Gong and saw a special celebration being held in his birthplace of Hirado, Japan. Prof. Ed Vickers, who attended the events and has been following the ways in which Taiwan, China and Japan all remember Zheng in different ways and for different reasons, fills us in on how last year's anniversary events played out and how he expects this historical story to continue to develop into the future!Ed is a Professor in Comparative Education in the Department of Education, Faculty of Human-Environment Studies at the University of Kyushu, Japan. He is also the Program Director of the Taiwan Studies Program at Kyushu University.Podcast from NTNU International Taiwan Studies CentreNewsletter Signup Form

When is a natural disaster really a disaster and who decides?Associate Professor of Geography at NTNU, Prof Mucahid Mustafa Bayrak discusses issues of climate change, political ecology and the some of the impacts of these two forces on Indigenous communities in Taiwan and beyond.Podcast from NTNU International Taiwan Studies CentreNewsletter Signup Form

A small island state, or a big ocean state? Prof. Niki Alsford and podcast host, Josh, discuss the concepts of land and ocean, how islands in the pacific are seeing a gradual reframing from 'small island states' to 'big ocean states,' and what impact this has on Taiwan. They also discuss how scientific data and indigenous knowledge can be combined, particularly in the field of environmental conservation!  Niki Alsford is a Professor of Anthropology and Human Geography and Director of the Institutes for the Study of the Asia Pacific (ISAP) and the Institute for Area and Migration Studies at the University of Central Lancashire. He is also a Research Associate at SOAS, University of London, and an Associate Member of the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Oxford. Additionally, he is a Chartered Geographer with the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), where he is also a Fellow, as well as a Fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute and the Royal Asiatic Society. Professor Alsford is an established Explorer at the Explorers' Club, being a member of the Britain & Ireland Chapter. Podcast from NTNU International Taiwan Studies Centre Newsletter Signup Form

Professor Scott Simon, from the School of Sociological and Anthropological Studies at the University of Ottawa, joined us in Taipei for a discussion on the inspiration behind his book 'Truly Human: Indigeneity and Indigenous Resurgence on Formosa.' We also caught up with the latest research that he has been carrying out and how it  contributes to the field of Taiwan studies. Podcast from NTNU International Taiwan Studies Centre Newsletter Signup Form

In this episode, Josh talks with Professor Michael Shi-Yung Liu from the University of Pittsburgh's History Department about some of the ways in which Japanese medical policy influenced Taiwan during the colonial period. Prof. Liu reveals some fascinating insights into how this unique moment in history has had long-term ramifications for people far beyond Taiwan, even into the present day.

Professor Ed Vickers from Kyushu University discusses some of the many ways in which Zheng Cheng-Gong (Koxinga) is represented, remembered and celebrated on both sides of the Taiwan strait and in Japan. Ed is a Professor in Comparative Education in the Department of Education, Faculty of Human-Environment Studies at the University of Kyushu, Japan. He is also the Program Director of the Taiwan Studies Program at Kyushu University. Podcast from NTNU International Taiwan Studies Centre Newsletter Signup Form