Our guest today is Professor Fan Chia-chung (Elliott Fan), Professor of Economics at National Taiwan University. His research explores how work, family, education, and gender shape economic development, with particular attention to the experiences of women and their contribution to Taiwan’s economic transformation.

In this episode he discusses how the unexpected result of an experiment he carried out in 2015 led him on a research journey that has uncovered many significant factors impacting Taiwan's economic and social development, and the unique role that Taiwan's women have played in it all.

The NTNU International Taiwan Studies Center Podcast is back for a second season, this time in collaboration with the International Journal of Taiwan Studies (IJTS)!

Original host, Josh, is joined by Dr. Ming-Yeh Rawnsley, editor-in-chief of the IJTS and research associate at the SOAS Centre of Taiwan Studies for the entirety of this new series which focusses on the special issues that IJTS has produced in collaboration with Taiwan Insight!

Josh and Ming-Yeh go in-depth with a variety of fantastic guests to bring the latest, most intriguing and internationally significant areas of Taiwan Studies that are emerging from all corners of the globe!

Sign up for the NTNU International Taiwan Studies Centre bi-monthly Newsletter to keep up with global developments in Taiwan Studies: Newsletter Signup Form
Read the International Journal of Taiwan Studies

Professor Wu Tsong-min is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Economics at National Taiwan University and one of Taiwan’s leading economic historians. His work explores one of the most fundamental questions in economics: why do some societies become prosperous while others do not? His latest book, Taiwan's Economy: Four Hundred Years, traces Taiwan’s remarkable transformation from an agricultural frontier into one of the world’s leading high-tech economies. Drawing on four centuries of history, he examines how institutions, markets, public policy and innovation shaped Taiwan’s economic development, and ultimately laid the foundations for today’s semiconductor industry.

In this episode, we explore what Taiwan’s past can teach us about economic growth, globalization, and the historical roots of Taiwan’s place in the contemporary world. Prof. Wu’s book can be found here

The NTNU International Taiwan Studies Center Podcast is back for a second season, this time in collaboration with the International Journal of Taiwan Studies (IJTS)!

Original host, Josh, is joined by Dr. Ming-Yeh Rawnsley, editor-in-chief of the IJTS and research associate at the SOAS Centre of Taiwan Studies for the entirety of this new series which focusses on the special issues that IJTS has produced in collaboration with Taiwan Insight!

Josh and Ming-Yeh go in-depth with a variety of fantastic guests to bring the latest, most intriguing and internationally significant areas of Taiwan Studies that are emerging from all corners of the globe!

Sign up for the NTNU International Taiwan Studies Centre bi-monthly Newsletter to keep up with global developments in Taiwan Studies: Newsletter Signup Form
Read the International Journal of Taiwan Studies

Should historians judge the actions of historical figures? Craig Smith, Assistant Professor at the Asia Institute, University of Melbourne, joins us to talk about his research on Taiwanese translators during the Japanese colonial era. He takes us beyond the simple labels of 'collaborator' or 'patriot' that were often thrown around, to help us understand the complexities of what life was like for these translators/interpreters and the multiple goals that they were pursuing during that period.

Podcast from NTNU International Taiwan Studies Centre
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