The special issue of Taiwan in Comparative Perspective on Taiwan and Ireland is the first publication of its kind. To mark the event, a launch and wine reception were held in the LSE Senior Common Room on Friday 22 March in partnership with scholars from University College Dublin.
Around fifty people came to the event, at which contributors from UCD and from the LSE's Taiwan Research Programme gave reflections. The wine reception was opened with a toast by Taiwan Representative Amb. Shen.
The publication of the journal brings together specialists on Taiwan and specialists on Ireland to begin the work of developing a new model of comparative interaction. Area Studies can tend in approaching Ireland and Taiwan, and other places, to rehearse certain forms of scholarship, and to privilege certain questions and exclude others. Asking 'Irish questions' of Taiwan, and vice versa, this interdisciplinary collaboration breaks exciting new ground.
The journal draws on material presented at the 2011 symposium at UCD under the title 'Small Islands, Big Issues' and on a seminar series held from 2009. These were the first multi-disciplinary seminar series and conference devoted to comparative studies relating to Taiwan and Ireland, and to Taiwan Studies and Irish Studies.
Date: Friday 22 March, 6.30pm to 8.40pm
Venue: Senior Common Room, Fifth Floor, Old Building, LSE
Partner: University College Dublin
Host: The LSE Taiwan Research Programme
6.30pm-8pm Launch
Chaired by Stuart Thompson
Welcoming Remarks and Introduction
Stuart Thompson (LSE, UK)
Small Islands Big Issues: building meaningful research collaboration in an age of MOOCs
Dr Brian Jackson (Institute of Technology Carlow, Ireland)
Taiwan's Subjectivity and National Narrations: towards a comparative perspective with Ireland
Dr Fang-Long Shih (LSE, UK)
Developmental Immigration in the Republic of Ireland and Taiwan
Professor Bryan Fanning (UCD, Ireland)
Reflections and Introduction to Contributors
Reverend John McNeil Scott (LSE, UK)
7.45pm-8.00pm
Transnational Cultures and Intercultural Analysis: future research potential
Presenter: Professor Gerardine Meaney (UCD, Ireland)
8pm-8.40pm Wine Reception
Toast by Taiwan Representative Amb. Shen
For further information, please contact Taiwan.Comparative@lse.ac.uk