China is sparing no effort in oppressing Taiwan on the diplomatic front. But even worse, Taiwan's right to interpret history is now being usurped by Chinese academics.
Anyone who dabbles in international academic programs should be aware that the latest developments in academic research are usually initiated by top-notch European or US institutions. Unlike professors in Taiwan, professors in Western nations can determine a student's future through allotments of scholarship money, in addition to grading their assignments and thesis. Therefore, whoever is at the helm of these renowned institutions can lead the whole world on the academic front.
Current East Asian studies have had a negative impact on the nation. First, Western academic institutions tend to believe that East Asia is only composed of China, Japan and South Korea, whereas Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau are all regarded as vassal states of China. Drawing such a distinction has only placed the nation, which aims to pursue Taiwanese awareness, in a unfavorable position.
Second, since China is strengthening itself in every respect and the number of Chinese students studying overseas is also rising, the chances for Taiwanese students to be admitted and receive scholarships are being reduced, thereby excluding Taiwan's voice from academic circles in the US and Europe.
Finally, most Chinese students choose to stay in the country where they have completed their studies to pursue teaching careers. With such an enormous number of students living and working overseas and a strong network of connections, Chinese people have dominated East Asian studies. These people are generally unsympathetic toward Taiwan.
Faced with such disadvantages, Taiwan cannot simply await its doom. Regrettably, there are only two streams of government scholarships for overseas study: an elite program and overseas study at government expense. The former focuses on nurturing scientists, engineers and designers, while the latter pays more attention to cultivating experts in the humanities. However, there is still a lack of talent in East Asian studies, particularly in the study of Chinese political and economic affairs.
To make matters worse, the government doesn't seem very enthusiastic about establishing an across-the-board platform for international academic exchanges. This has prevented Taiwanese students studying overseas from consolidating their resources to challenge China's academic hegemony. By contrast, China has sought to take Chinese students studying overseas under its wing through a strong network and the allotment of research funds.
I hope that the government will consider the issue from a different perspective, to prevent the nation from holding on to a policy that will only lead Western nations to lean toward China.
Chen Shuo-ting holds a master's degree from the University of Chicago.
TRANSLATED BY DANIEL CHENG
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