TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Letters from our 2014 American and Taiwanese Chairs 2. Overview of our Activities
Lectures Interaction with Locals Site Visits Cultural Activities Roundtable & Final Forum
3. Passing on the Torch: Letters from our Incoming Chairs
LETTER FROM OUR CHAIRS
American Chair Alice Liao (middle) and Taiwanese Chair Amy Kao (right) with our advisor, Dr. Stanton
DEAR FRIEND OF TASC, For three weeks, TASC delegates had the day immersions into aboriginal culture, through opportunity to see Taiwan through a variety of interacting with the survivors of Xiaolin Village, thought-provoking perspectives. through homestays, and through each other – we connected emotionally, all of us, with the We learned about the big picture: the people and the passion of Taiwan. political, social, and economic struggles in Taiwan - from Tsai Ing Wen herself, the first All this was made possible because of you. female presidential candidate in Taiwan. Student, professor, supporter, friend – because of your voices and passion for the We learned about the business playing international community, you have given us field: from the entrepreneurs—Flying V’s the strength and resources possible to hold founder Tim Cheng—to the international such a student conference. We humbly thank powerhouse leaders—Specialized’s Vice you for making the inaugural Taiwan-America President Bob Margevicius—we put ourselves Student Conference possible, and may we in the minds of those who operate the continue to build this community for the future. economic engine in Taiwan.
We learned about the people: through full
Alice Pin Pin Liao
故事的重量 一個十分鐘左右的交流，其實是一個人背後多少年的 這是我們在規劃台美學生會議內容時的理想。現在我 探索及累積才蛻變而成的結果。想到這份「時光的重 很高興能告訴大家：我們成功了──不論是在台中女 量」，忍不住要對台美學生會議中所有的貴賓、講者、中，大家被高中生對自身教育的認真態度感動；或是 協辦者致上最珍重的感謝，謝謝你們長期以來對社會 被小林村村民的故事震撼。讓我感到驚喜又欣慰的時 議題的關懷和耕耘，因為你們的率先覺察及心血付出，刻，是當美國學員說「參加TASC使他對太陽花學運的 使學生們在短暫的會議中，能站在你們的肩膀上，看 印象完全改觀、開始佩服台灣的學生」的時候；是當 見社會不同角落人們的生活真相及挑戰。 台裔美籍學員說「TASC讓他們開始感到台灣是他們的 家，以後會想來台灣工作」的時候。TASC讓美國學生 成立台美學生會議的初衷之一，是「培養未來年輕領 看到台灣先進、積極蓬勃、具社會理想的一面；台灣 導人」。關於「領導」這回事，我們在意的是帶給學 學生也因為此次會議，看見更多元的台灣。 生領導的「動機」──It’s not a matter of how you lead. It’s a matter of WHY you lead, and WHERE you are 再次謝謝所有支持者，因為你們，我們籌辦團隊的企 leading to. 為此我們渴望遊歷，渴望親眼看見、親耳 劃想像，得以具體呈現。會議結束了，像闔上一本書， 去聽來自社會不同角落的心聲。當以一種「個體對個 但打開一扇心窗，我們期待看到──不論是一個月、 體」的層次去交流時，原本令人無感的社會議題，才 一年或十年之後──各位支持者或學員間的合作！ 會因為一則則真實的掙扎故事而鮮明了起來；因為認 識而產生關懷。
Amy Kao 高敏嘉
LECTURES FROM GUEST SPEAKERS
“The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.” - Plutarch
DR. WILLIAM STANTON
FORMER DIRECTOR, AMERICAN INSTITUTE IN TAIWAN “Personal diplomacy is the basis of all diplomacy,” Dr. Stanton said. The former de-facto ambassador to Taiwan congratulated us on starting TASC to facilitate interaction between Taiwanese and American students at a time when such interactions are decreasing rapidly.
DR. TSAI ING-WEN
CHAIRWOMAN, DEMOCRATIC PROGRESSIVE PARTY We had the honor of hosting Dr. Tsai Ing-wen, who spoke to us on the challenges Taiwan faces—especially regarding cross-strait relations and Taiwan's transition to an innovation-based economy. She also invited us as young leaders to help out.
Anting Liu was 23 when she founded 為臺灣而教 Teach For Taiwan to help alleviate the chronic undersupply of qualified teachers in rural schools in Taiwan. In its first year, TFT had more than 500 applicants for 8 spots, showing that there is great interest among Taiwanese youth to give back to society, but few opportunities to do so.
ANTING LIU
FOUNDER, TEACH FOR TAIWAN Tim Chen (left) and Chander Tseng (fourth from left) both promised to apply to Teach for Taiwan!
TASCers learned about LGBTQ issues in Taiwan through the first-hand stories of Victoria Hsu.
VICTORIA HSU
CEO, TAIWAN ALLIANCE FOR PROMOTION OF CIVIL PARTNERSHIP RIGHTS
Besides learning that LGBTQ issues were not widely discussed in Taiwan until the last several months, we were also exposed to novel concepts on civil partnerships, such as those that include friends, extended families, and communities of elderly women. Diversity in "civil partnerships" can encompass more than just two people!
TIM CHENG
FOUNDER, FLYING V Flying V is the largest crowdfunding platform in Asia. Tim shared with us a few stories in which crowdfunding stepped in where the government and venture capitalists won’t. Perhaps the most famous example of a Flying V-enabled project is the documentary movie, Beyond Beauty 《看見台灣》that captures the beauty of Taiwan from above. Lesser known is a physician from Taitung who fundraised enough to start a hospital in a 100-kilometer stretch without one.
Dr. Brian Chang, the Deputy Secretary General of the Association of Family Practitioners in Taiwan, gave us his perspective as a physician on Taiwan’s National Health Insurance.
"Customers can only tell you what they want today. We need to figure out what they want tomorrow. Nobody knew they wanted an iPhone.“ - Bob Margevicius, EVP of Specialized Bicycle Components, Inc, on innovation.
We spoke to Mr. Tsai (蔡松 諭), founder of a social enterprise that brings locallyproduced plums to world-class brands such as 7/11.
Leaving behind a career in the IT industry, Mr. Tsai returned to his hometown, Xiaolin Village, after Typhoon Morakot, determined to help revive the local economy.
TASC delegates got a rare glimpse into the personal lives of some Filipina factory workers in Taiwan by watching a documentary by Taiwan International Workers' Association (TIWA).
TIWA aims to improve the conditions of migrant workers in Taiwan.
OTHER DISTINGUISHED GUESTS: In order of date of speech: Chelsea Chia-Chen Chou | NTU Institute Ching-Cheng Chang | Academia Sinica of National Development Institute of Economics Likwang Cheng | Institute of Population Health Science
Tung Chieh Tsai| NCHU Institute of International Politics
Samuel Au | KPMG
Shih Yueh Yang| NHU Department of International Affairs and Business
WenChen Chang | NTU College of Law Yinghai Pan | NCNU Institute of Anthropology
Shu-Ying Tsai | Work Development Agency Southern Taiwan Branch
Wan-Ju (Karen) Yu | Okogreen Limited
INTERACTIONS WITH LOCALS
“A nation's culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people.” –Mahatma Gandhi
GHOST FESTIVAL WITH HOST FAMILIES
XIAOLIN (
) VILLAGERS
SURVIVORS OF TYPHOON MORAKOT
STUDENT REFLECTIONS “After studying Chinese for five years, I always thought that I would spend my time abroad in China. However… …after visiting Taiwan on a whim this January, I quickly understood the certain “draw” that many TaiwaneseAmericans speak of.
rebuild the community and spread local culture. This endurance and positivity is incredibly evident in Taiwan.
At the Conference, I spent a considerable amount of time trying to pinpoint that “draw.” The moment of realization came when listening to a panel of survivors of the Xiaolin Village landslide.
There is nothing more rewarding than gaining new perspectives and meeting the people that pass them on. Attending TASC is a perfect opportunity to do just that, and I will be forever thankful knowing that I had the chance to do so.
After losing everything, the few survivors started a dance troupe to
Emily Oursler University of Maryland, College Park
From a completely wiped out village that lost close to 500 of its members, survivors from the Xiaolin Village came together and created a plan for rebuilding their homes, restoring their culture by forming a dance troupe, and revitalizing their village by creating a community center (where we spent most of our time). We even had a chance to live in their restored homes for the two nights we were in Xiaolin village: mine had no A/C or hot water, both humbling
experiences of the conveniences I take for granted. Between the night markets, 3 am conversations with other attendees, and home stays, I fell in love with this country. On my last day, I cried as my plane took off and promised that I would return to Taiwan one day soon. Davis Nguyen Yale University
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AT NCKU International students at National Cheng Kung University shared their experiences in Taiwan with us. How is life in Taiwan as a foreigner? How is Taiwan different or similar to their home country? Speaking to them was a great
glimpse into the diversity of experiences in Taiwan. The students hail from countries such as Swaziland and Indonesia. Many of them study engineering and are on scholarships from their governments.
DISCUSSION WITH HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
ON EDUCATION SYSTEMS IN BOTH COUNTRIES TASC delegates grouped up with local high school students to discuss issues in education, including the recent change in the high school entrance system in Taiwan and cram school culture.
For many of our American delegates, this was an opportunity to share their experiences at American universities with high school students who are interested in studying in the States, but didn't know how.
CENTURY-OLD HOME IN TAICHUNG
Here, some of us are visiting an elderly gentleman who kindly opened his doors to us. His family has owned this house for a century! We ate dragon eye fruits fresh from his trees, played basketball, and asked him about his family. A truly rare opportunity to experience local culture.
SITE VISITS
“I am not the same having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.” - Mary Anne Radmacher
AMERICAN INSTITUTE IN TAIWAN
DE FACTO US EMBASSY IN TAIWAN
We simulated trade negotiations between Taiwan and China under the guidance of Edwin Saeger, Acting Chief of Economic Section at the American Institute in Taiwan. We reenacted the negotiations between China and Taiwan for the Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement and also the talks between the private sector (media industry, venture capitalists) and their respective governments.
TAIPEI 101
TALLEST GREEN BUILDING IN THE WORLD The only thing I knew about Taiwan before I arrived was the famous Taipei 101. After spending some time in Taiwan, Taipei 101 has always intrigued me for not only being one of the tallest buildings in the world, but also for its iconic shape and cultural Taiwanese resemblance. Seeing how Taipei 101 earned a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum by using
myriad methods to save electricity usage, water consumption and garbage distribution was beyond breathtaking. What’s more, we got to learn all this from the employees themselves. Dereck Lammers University of Arizona
SONGSHAN CREATIVE & CULTURAL PARK
CREATIVE HUB OF TAIWAN
NEXT MEDIA
FASTEST ANIMATION STUDIO IN THE WORLD Next Media is known for its animated news in Taiwan and abroad.
We got an insider scoop on the company culture and even got to see an animation in the making (hint: motion capture suits were involved). More broadly, we also learned about issues in Taiwan's media landscape, such as the fact that Taiwanese news is largely one-sided and rarely reports on international news.
CULTURAL EXPERIENCES
“In diversity there is beauty and there is strength.” -Maya Angelou
SEDIQ ABORIGINAL CULTURE We got to meet the aboriginals from the Sediq Tribe. Above (left) are two women demonstrating the ritual Sediq aboriginals perform when they welcome guests, in this case, us! We also got to wear traditional Sediq clothing and enter a traditional Sediq home. Our delegates are pictured next to the house (right). Two delegates (bottom right) look like they’re “going for a walk,” what Sediq men used to say when they were actually going to go hunting.
MOUNTAINS NEAR WUSHE “The moment we left Taipei to learn about Taiwanese aboriginal culture, I left my preconceived notions of Taiwan behind for good. We visited a tribe in central Taiwan and stayed with families in a small village in the south, experiences that would have been unavailable to the casual visitor. “ Patrick Farrell University of Pittsburgh
NANTUN HISTORIC DISTRICT We spent an entire morning at the Nantun Historic District—the mecca of traditional culture in Taichung. In the photo in the middle, Matthew, an American delegate, learns how to pray to the spirits on the day of the Ghost Festival. On the left, you see delegates sharing a pot of popped rice bran produced by the man pictured in the upper left, who left a highsalary job to take over the family store. In the pictures in the upper right, delegates are trying their hands at Taiwanese pastry-making at a patisserie that has nearly 150 years of history.
NATURAL WAY SIX ARTS CULTURAL CENTER We learned archery and Chinese tea ceremony (took the first of 60 seminars offered)at the Natural Way Six Arts Cultural Center in Taichung, formerly a venue for police to practice kendo and judo during the Japanese era. Some of us also got to play traditional Chinese games, such as connect five and go!
TASC delegates practiced traditional fishing techniques at a local mangrove in Tainan!
Here (left) they are pulling the lever down to raise a fishing net. We caught one fish (bottom left)! And of course let it go back into the water. In the bottom left, delegates are shacking oysters and walking on an oyster farm.
TAIJIANG MANGROVE RAFT TOUR
Delegates also got to speak with the founder of the park (bottom right) about conservation practices in Taiwan.
ROUNDTABLES & FINAL FORUM
“Plato conceived of philosophy as necessarily gregarious rather than solitary.” - Rebecca Goldstein
IN THIS SECTION: 1. What is a “Roundtable?” 2. Overview of the final presentation by the Education Roundtable
Presentation Recap Audience Comment Student Reflection
3. Reflections on the other roundtables
Government and Society Diversity, Identity, and Discrimination Taiwan-U.S.-China Energy & Environmental Sustainability
WHAT IS A “ROUNDTABLE”? TASC delegates applied to be placed in one of five roundtables (“RT”):
delegations. During daily RT discussions, delegates specialized in one issue, shared their perspectives and expertise, sifted 1. Modern Issues in Education through various layers of the issue to 2. Government & Society target one aspect, and solved the issue by 3. Energy & Environmental Sustainability brainstorming a concrete action plan. Each RT presented their conclusions at 4. Diversity, Identity & Discrimination the Final Forum in National Cheng Kung 5. Taiwan-U.S.-China Relations University on the last day to a panel of leading professionals in fields ranging Each RT is comprised of four from non-profit to start-ups. representatives from each the Taiwanese and the American
EDUCATION RT FINAL FORUM RECAP Taiwanese students rank among the highest scorers in international tests of mathematics and science. Many students even attend extra classes (“cram schools�) where teachers teach to the test, so they can score even higher.
BUT IS THAT REALLY WHAT LEARNING IS ABOUT? What about independent thinking? What about leadership and community service? What about creative problem-solving?
IF TAIWAN IS TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE,
…we believe Taiwan will need to do MORE.
"The ILLITERATE of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn." - Alvin Toffler
TAIWAN NEEDS
ST “21
CENTURY SKILLS.”
While in previous centuries, it was enough to know the “3R’s” (reading, ‘riting, ‘rithmetic), in the 21st century, a different set of skills are needed to be competitive. They include: Higher-Order Thinking
Creativity Problem solving Critical thinking Decision-making
Interpersonal Skills Information Literacy Global and Social Awareness Citizenship Social responsibility
Frances Chan | Yale University, History
AND THE MOST DIRECT WAY TO GAIN SUCH A DIVERSE SET OF SKILLS IS…
…THROUGH A LIBERAL ARTS EDUCATION.
WHAT IS A LIBERAL ARTS EDUCATION? A true liberal arts education… - Does not limit students to one pre-professional discipline, such as law, business, or medicine. Instead, it is interdisciplinary, allowing students to explore their interests in a wide range of fields, and thus allowing them to develop a larger set of skills. - Is not a passive education. Students actively undertake research projects and participate in small faculty-led group discussions that foster their independent thinking, teamwork, and communication skills.
Here, we showed the video clip, “That’s Why I Chose Yale” http://youtu.be/rTY6DBTOfoc
IS LIBERAL ARTS COMPATIBLE WITH LOCAL CULTURE? "The notion of a well-rounded education is not alien to Taiwanese culture. “As early as in the time of CONFUCIUS (fifth century BCE in China), an educated man was supposed to master the “Six Arts”: rites (Li), music (Yue), archery (She), charioteering (Yu), calligraphy (Shu), and mathematics (Shu). “And already in Taiwan, there are many students calling for greater opportunities to study subjects outside of their major."
Alexandra Wallace| University of WisconsinMadison, Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis
SOME UNIVERSITIES IN TAIWAN ARE ALREADY INCORPORATING ELEMENTS OF THE “LIBERAL ARTS.” …though usually in the form of a 'department.' At TUNGHAI UNIVERSITY, there is a LIBERAL ARTS PROGRAM. It is composed of three main features:
1. Knowledge: courses in subjects ranging from philosophy to science and technology, 2. Real-world: social skills, leadership, volunteer work
3. Tutoring: academic counseling and language assistance. Monique Wu | Chang Gung University, Health Care Management
METHOD OF IMPLEMENTATION 1.
Target: students
Short-term:
Long-term: promote the idea of “well-rounded thinkers before professionals”
2.
Target: schools / programs / departments
Short-term:
Show-Shiuan Kao| National Cheng Kung University, Chemical Engineering
Coming out of an exam-oriented system, Taiwanese high school students usually have little social awareness Use college orientation to expose freshmen to social awareness and liberal arts. Expose students to organizations that allow them to acquire 21st century skills, such as TED, Teach for Taiwan, AISEC, etc. Promote international exchange experiences to broaden students’ horizons.
Increase opportunities for active learning (e.g. class discussions, field trips) First promote liberal arts at institutions that are competing with NTU, namely the University System of Taiwan (台灣聯合大學系統)
Long-term: Give students the freedom to explore more by decreasing the required number of credits for each major. (E.g. at Yale, on average only a third of the courses taken are to fulfill one’s major requirements.) Let undergraduate education be for whole-person education and graduate school be for professional education.
POSSIBLE BARRIERS TO IMPLEMENTATION 1) Current culture: many parents want their children to learn practical skills that are directly useful in a career... but does a good career = a good life? Many graduates are dissatisfied with their careers and lives... Perhaps it would be better to expose our young people to a wider range of opportunities rather than limiting them to one field, so they can choose for themselves what they want."
University, are well-known for specific expertises, such as information engineering, and have even formed partnerships with hightech corporations. While these colleges may fear that switching to a liberal arts system will cause their rankings to go down, it actually wouldn’t affect the professional fields if the expertise has been established solidly.
In addition, so many countries have 2. Schools: Some prestigious already recognized the importance schools, such as National Tsing-Hua of implementing the liberal arts into University and National Chiao-Tung their top universities. Including China! Chander Tseng| National Taiwan University, Foreign Languages & Literatures - Educational Program for Secondary School Teachers
COMMENT FROM THE AUDIENCE “Thanks for your presentation. I will be sure to share your information with the folks at the Ministry of Education who I’m meeting next week.” I-Chien Jan (詹益鑑) Founding Partner of Appworks, the largest start-up incubator in Taiwan
STUDENT REFLECTION ON EDUCATION RT “In Taiwan, many criticize the education system for suppressing independent thinking and creativity with its emphasis on rote memorization. Together with my fellow delegates, I came up with a solution: bringing liberal arts education to Taiwan. We presented in front of a panel of experts at the final forum held at National CheungKung University in Tainan, which turned out to be a great success. “My TASC experience is truly one of the highlights of my summer. I made many new friends in Taiwan, gained a deeper understanding of the culture and politics of a unique part of the world, and helped raise awareness of liberal arts education there. Thank you for making all this possible and I hope many more students would be able to have the same opportunity in the future.” Sandy Jin Yale University
GOVERNMENT & SOCIETY “We spent much of the first few days discussing the Sunflower Movement, in which college students occupied the legislative office of Taiwan for 23 days. I had never heard of the Sunflower Movement before this summer, but after learning about it, I grasped the power that the youth truly have in shaping politics.� Davis Nguyen Yale University
DIVERSITY, IDENTITY, AND DISCRIMINATION “We started by playing a game where we selfidentified with various categories, such as race, socioeconomic class, ethnicity, gender and so on. At the same time, we guessed which categories our partners would identify with. “The activity revealed how society labels each individual and demonstrated how discrimination takes root. We discussed issues including sexuality, indigenous peoples, and media portrayal of women, and how they differ in the U.S. and Taiwan. As the discussion got deeper, we came to the conclusion that ‘the world is comprised of stories.’ “Behind each and every one of us is a story, and the key to eliminating discrimination, dispute, and war, is for every one of us to ‘dare to look beyond’ to see that story.” Amanda Shih-en Lin National Tsing-Hua University
TAIWAN-U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS “Prior to this RT, I had only discussed with other Taiwanese students whether or not we supported closer relations with China or not. During this RT, we went further: if Taiwan were to further its dependence on China, what bottom line should it maintain? If not, what measures should Taiwan take to stabilize its exports? My biggest takeaway was that Taiwanese youth need to more deeply understand the rest of the world—especially China. Rather than seeing China’s rise as a threat, I think we should see it is a huge opportunity for us to reflect on what we can do for Taiwan.” Chad Chen National Cheng-Kung University
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY “We separated this topic into four aspects—energy dependency, rechargeable batteries, food waste management, and energy policy advertisement—and came up with ways that individuals can help the environment. “For Taiwanese students, it was the first time we recognized that nuclear energy is one of the best options for Taiwan. For American students, it was also the first time they gained a clear understanding of Taiwan’s nuclear dilemma. “Although there were several heated discussions, we never gave up on listening and communicating. If you ask me what I took away from this conference, here would be the most valuable lesson. ‘To change the world, start little and never stop listening!’” Tim Chen National Taiwan University
PASSING ON THE TORCH
Messages from our new chairs
DEAR FRIEND OF TASC, Prior to TASC, I had very little faith in college students; even as a college student myself, I believed that we were irresponsible, reckless, easily manipulated idealists who claimed to understand the world without ever experiencing it. After TASC, I realized that my initial suspicions were almost right -- but with one notable omission: college students -- both American and Taiwanese alike -are incredibly eager to learn. Not just from books or lectures or even their peers, but from everything around them. Every person, every place, every experience is an endless well from which to draw new knowledge.
new knowledge towards bettering the lives of others. They never tire in pursuing this mission; they never grow weary.
I am honored to return to TASC as American chair for 2015 because I have a newfound faith in this mission and am committed to helping it grow. Students are eager not just to learn, but to learn on their own terms; to acquire knowledge and use it to further the causes that matter to them. This is the spirit that permeated TASC 2014. It is, I believe, the key to a better future -- for the United States and Taiwan, and also for the world. I hope that you will join us again in 2015 as we continue our What's more, college students fully acknowledge mission of nurturing the brightest young minds in their limited understanding of the world, but they Taiwan and the United States through a unique, desperately hunger and thirst for the things that will culturally enriching experience that educates, fill that void. Most importantly, they are determined - mediates, catalyzes, and inspires. - recklessly and irresponsibly so, even -- to use this Patricia Liu Wellesley College
MOVING FORWARD… What makes TASC so unique is how it is so personal. We stayed with Taiwanese families, visited indigenous villages, spoke to local leaders... We were exposed to the people that call this island home, and as a result, not only have Taiwanese delegates felt closer than ever to Taiwan, but even our American delegates have started to call Taiwan home. Above all, the personal nature of the conference also shaped our daily interactions with one another. I will never forget the culture shock I felt during TASC, whether it was an American delegate challenging the speaker or talking about their future… and actually taking concrete steps toward that future. TASC was a life-changing experience for me and I want to help more Taiwanese students feel empowered to change themselves and the world.
Our team will work hard to make sure the 2015 TASC will be even better. Here are some of our ideas so far: TASC needs a core value. The value of the inaugural TASC was vague, making it difficult for delegates to find the common theme between every activity. We can incorporate an “action plan” into the final forum. There are already several venture capitalists expressing their interests in TASC, and they will definitely help us out if we provide them with practical plans. I hope that you will join us again in 2015 as we continue our mission to nourish the minds of the next generation. Tim Chen National Taiwan University
THANK YOU FOR MAKING TASC POSSIBLE.
Website: www.Taiwan-America.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/TaiwanAmerica Questions? Feel free to reach out at tasc.ask@gmail.com or through Facebook.
UNTIL NEXT YEAR!