Chair of Taiwan studies launched at University of Ottawa

The new center hopes to tap into the richness of Taiwanese history to shed light on political developments worldwide

An enthusiastic crowd packed the Tabaret Hall at the University of Ottawa on Wednesday evening for the official launch of the chair of Taiwan Studies at the Canadian capital’s top university.

The chair was made possible following an agreement between the university and Taiwan’s Ministry of Education.

The designated titular of the chair is professor Scott Simon from the department of sociology and anthropology, with professor Andre Laliberte of the school of political studies acting as co-chair.

The chair will be interdisciplinary and extend to fields including political studies, anthropology, sociology, economics and development.

My article, published today in the Taipei Times, continues here, with comments by the two co-chairs, my friends Scott Simon and Andre Laliberte.