Our Mission and Work
Established in May 2024, the Taiwan Program at Stanford University’s Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (Shorenstein APARC) advances interdisciplinary research, education, and engagement on Taiwan – a dynamic democracy with a vibrant civil society and an innovative economy that contributes to regional and global development.
Taiwan stands at the intersection of many of the most consequential issues of our time – democracy, geopolitics, technology, migration, demographic transition, and cultural transformation. Studying Taiwan in the world – and the world through Taiwan – not only deepens our understanding of Taiwan but also offers important insights into a rapidly changing world. Our research draws on comparative perspectives that place Taiwan in dialogue with other societies in Asia and beyond, and transnational perspectives that investigate the flows of people, capital, ideas, and culture across the Pacific.
Our mission centers on three core areas: research, education, and exchange. The program seeks to produce policy-relevant research on Taiwan and its evolving challenges; cultivate the next generation of experts and scholars in Taiwan studies; and build an intellectual hub that fosters meaningful exchanges among Stanford faculty and students and their counterparts in Taiwan. We offer visiting fellowships, organize seminars and conferences, and create cross-sector collaboration opportunities to deepen understanding of Taiwan and strengthen connections between Taiwan and the United States.
The Taiwan Program is part of Shorenstein APARC in the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI).
