Major funding boost for Taiwan Studies

SOAS has been awarded a major grant from Taiwan’s National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) to strengthen our world leading Taiwan Studies programme. 

The new initiative, the NSTC Taiwan Studies Project, will provide new scholarship opportunities, a visiting scholar programme and funding for students to attend conferences and conduct research fieldwork in Taiwan. 

SOAS offers an unrivalled programme of Taiwan Studies academic and cultural events. The SOAS Taiwan Studies Programme was founded in 1999 and has grown into the world’s most active Taiwan Studies centre. It hosts the only MA Taiwan Studies degree and the most extensive range of Taiwan-focused teaching courses, including the annual SOAS Taiwan Studies Summer School, of any European or US university.

A transformative development for our Taiwan Studies Programme.

Professor Dafydd Fell, Director of the SOAS Centre of Taiwan Studies, said: “This grant will provide, for the first time, scholarships for our MA Taiwan Studies degree programme where the recipients will become active participants in our research and events activities. The visiting scholar programme will allow leading Taiwan scholars to spend longer periods in London to share their research and engage with our students and academics. This is a transformative development for our Taiwan Studies Programme and we are incredibly grateful to Taiwan’s National Science and Technology Council for their support.”

Shona Aitken, Director of Advancement and Chief of Staff at SOAS, said “This generous support from the NSTC builds on SOAS’s long‑standing and valued relationship with Taiwan, and is a powerful endorsement of our global leadership in Taiwan Studies. Crucially, the introduction of new scholarships - a core priority within SOAS’s strategic plan - will enable talented students from around the world to engage deeply with Taiwan-focused study and research. This investment strengthens international collaboration and ensures SOAS continues to shape the future of Taiwan Studies globally.”

The project is supported by the NSTC’s Taiwan Studies Program (TSP), which aims to foster international research on Taiwan. The TSP provides funds to help top universities develop Taiwan studies programming, supports international collaboration on Taiwan-oriented research projects and publications, nurtures Taiwan’s connections to global academia, and strengthens international Taiwan studies networks.

SOAS is also a key centre for Taiwan Studies publications. Professor Fell is the editor of the world’s most active Taiwan book series, the Routledge Research on Taiwan Book Series, and Research Associate Dr Ming-yeh Rawnsley is the editor in chief of the International Journal of Taiwan Studies. 

The NSTC Taiwan Studies Project will be incorporated into the Centre of Taiwan Studies at SOAS. The scholarships are available to apply.