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.

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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!

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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).

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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