Building on Strong Foundations
The establishment of the Center for Taiwan Studies (CTS) at the University of California, San Diego in 2022 (with a grand opening held on May 6, 2023) marked another important milestone in the continuing expansion of Taiwan Studies in the United States. However, while the center itself is relatively new, Taiwan-related scholarship at UC San Diego has much deeper roots. For many years before its official launch, faculty across the university had been teaching, researching, and promoting Taiwan, laying the academic foundations upon which the new center was built. The opening of CTS therefore represented the culmination of decades of sustained commitment and collaboration.
The Center for Taiwan Studies was made possible through a US$5 million endowed gift from Dr. Chiu-Shan Chen and Rufina C. Chen, whose vision was to create a permanent home for Taiwan Studies at UC San Diego. Unlike many Taiwan Studies centers around the world, which rely heavily on support from Taiwan’s Ministry of Education, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or National Science and Technology Council, the UCSD center is funded almost entirely through private philanthropy. This distinctive model provides the flexibility to pursue long-term projects that reflect both the academic priorities of the university and the passions of its donors. At the same time, endowments provide a sustainable platform to integrate Taiwan-related teaching and research across the university while strengthening connections between the United States and Taiwan. Unusually, the university is home to two endowed chairs dedicated specifically to Taiwan Studies: the Chuan Lyu Endowed Chair, held by Professor Ping-hui Liao, and the Chiu-Shan and Rufina Chen Chancellor’s Endowed Chair in Taiwan Studies, held by Professor Nancy Guy. The existence of two permanent endowed professorships devoted exclusively to Taiwan Studies is rare among universities and reflects UCSD’s commitment to establishing the field as a lasting part of its academic landscape.
Professor Ping-hui Liao, the center’s founding director, and Professor Nancy Guy, co-director, have been the driving forces behind Taiwan Studies at UC San Diego for many years. Long before the center officially opened, both scholars had established Taiwan as an important area of teaching and research on campus. Professor Guy taught a highly regarded Music of Taiwan course between 2000 and 2006 before reintroducing it in 2023, where it has attracted more than 70 students per year. The renewed course has also inspired a number of these students to pursue their own Taiwan-related research, with the center now providing grants and resources to support those ambitions.
Community engagement has become another defining characteristic of UCSD’s CTS. Reflecting the aspirations of its donors, it places particular emphasis on reaching audiences beyond academia through cultural events that reach into the local community and celebrate Taiwan’s diverse society and heritage. Concerts have become one of the signature activities, with Taiwanese performers, including Indigenous singer Sangpuy, bringing music from Taiwan to audiences in San Diego. Alongside these performances, the center regularly hosts distinguished writers, scholars, policymakers, and public intellectuals, with guests including acclaimed eco-writer Wu Ming-yi, IPST CEO Akio Yaita, and political scientist Tom Gold, demonstrating a commitment to exploring Taiwan through a broad range of cultural, political, and intellectual perspectives.
Preserving Taiwan’s history in the USA has also become an important part of the center’s role. In addition to Professors Liao and Guy, CTS employs two full-time staff members, including a dedicated archivist whose work focuses on documenting Taiwanese American history. This archival programme complements the broader efforts to preserve community memory and make Taiwanese and Taiwanese American stories more accessible to researchers and the wider public, and sheds light on the important role that Taiwanese have played in American society.
Although the Center for Taiwan Studies is one of the newest institutions profiled in this series, UCSD has long been an influential hub for scholarship, cultural exchange, and community engagement. Built upon decades of academic work and sustained through generous private philanthropy, the center demonstrates how long-term investment in people, teaching, and public outreach can create a vibrant and enduring home for Taiwan Studies. As it continues to expand its programmes and foster new collaborations, UC San Diego’s Center for Taiwan Studies will undoubtedly play a leading role in shaping the next chapter of Taiwan Studies in North America.