International studies in Taiwan today : a preliminary survey of the problems and prospects

Abstract

International relations, as an academic study, is relatively new. It is much more developed, discussed and documented in the West, especially the US, than in other places. Within Asia, reports about international relations have begun to appear in Japan and China. This working paper is the first of its kind specifically to examine and make a survey of the study of international relations in Taiwan. The paper begins by giving an historical background, and then discusses the academic study of political science, both at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels in universities. Particular attention is paid to the activities of the Institute of International Relations, the leading institution in the country with a research focus on international relations and Chinese affairs. It ends by analysing the problems of and prospects for studying international relations in Taiwan. This analysis is placed within the context of Taiwan’s unique position in the world, its acrimonious relationship with China, its speedy process of democratisation and the recognised need among the country’s elite for a better understanding of international affairs. On the whole the study of international relations in Taiwan is distinctively policyoriented, with a specific focus on the country's relations with China and the United States, and with little theoretical interest. However, Taiwan's unique experience in world affairs offers a fertile ground for theoretical development which may contribute to an enrichment of the existing international relations scholarship.