About Us
The Center for Taiwan Studies is based at UC San Diego’s School of Arts and Humanities. Office location and contact can be found below. Under the leadership of Professor Ping-hui Liao of the Department of Literature, the Founding Director, the Center is designed to expand the horizon of Taiwan Studies, on top of establishing global networks to promote a deeper understanding of the ways in which Taiwanese and Taiwanese Americans have contributed to the world today.
Our Missions
In 2021, Dr. Chiu-Shan Chen (陳秋山 博士) and Rufina Chen have committed $5 million to UC San Diego to establish the Taiwan Studies Center. The Center for Taiwan Studies is currently under the leadership of Department of Literature Professor Ping-hui Liao, the inaugural Chuan Lyu Endowed Chair in Taiwan Studies in the School of Arts and Humanities. The center provides a sustainable platform to grow comprehensive collaboration and exchange between the U.S. and Taiwan, coordinate the university’s Taiwan-centered projects for greater visibility, and offer grant support to faculty and graduate students in their research.
The Center’s program is to help raise awareness of important social issues that impact Taiwan like coral reef protection, climate change, and green energy, as well as all the ways Taiwanese Americans contribute to society. The new Center is to expand the Taiwanese American oral history project initially funded by the Taiwanese American History Foundation.
The goal of the Center is to encourage, not only in terms of institutional collaboration, but inviting more and more of our students to study in Taiwan, and more research and collaboration with Taiwan.
Building Bridges between Taiwanese and Taiwanese Americans
Movement of UN Membership for Taiwan
(Original posts on TAH website: UN for Taiwan and Care for Taiwan by Taiwanese Americans.)
Kaohsiung Incident 高雄事件 (美麗島事件) in 1980
(Links to posts on TAH website)
Learning from Taiwan
Expert Response and Handling of Earthquake Disasters
Tzu Chi's (慈濟) innovative tent "福慧格屏" set up in the disaster relief center for earthquake victims has earned admiration from the Japanese social media community. Victims can maintain a considerable level of privacy as if living in a private tent.
(The tents balance privacy and rest functions to ease the discomfort of earthquake victims.)
(Currently, there are 2000 tents of this kind, which have only been used in drills before, while the April 3rd earthquake marks the first time they have been deployed. The space is 245 cm by 245 cm – good for 2 separated beds or 3 connected beds.)
(The tent also considerably accommodates individual needs, with separate areas designated for women and special care zones.)
These innovative tents from Tzu Chi Foundation offer affordable, sustainable, and private shelters for earthquake victims. As a reference, homeless in major cities in the U.S., refugees in the Gaza Strip, and countless others in similar situations can also benefit from the Taiwanese experience.
Photo credits and original posts
自由時報：花蓮地震》收容所「隔屏」 讓日網友驚豔認輸 現場直擊畫面曝
紐約時報：強震後建築屹立不倒、人員傷亡較低：台灣是如何做到的
Location and Contact
Address, Email, and Phone Number
UC San Diego Center for Taiwan Studies
9625 Scholars Dr N, La Jolla, CA 92093
North Ride Walk Academic Complex Building 1 (Arts & Humanities Building)
Floor 2 Room 231
taiwan@ucsd.edu or (858) 534-0310 for inquiry
Parking Direction for Scholars Parking Structure (B1 Visitor Parking)
Use 9625 Scholars Dr N for the key in the address for parking. Please park any spots with the indicated "V" spot for visitor parking in B1. Reservation of parking would be advised otherwise. UC San Diego's parking rates and guidelines can be found here.
Student Research Assistants
(Student research assistants in 2023. From left to right: Brandon Chen, Ashley Lee, Jeffrey Liu, Jason Chien, Jeff Chen, Zachary Belgum, Tony Hsieh.)