Taiwan Academy
{{Short description|Non-profit public institutes}}
Taiwan Academy ({{zh|c=臺灣書院|p=Táiwān Shūyuàn}}) are non-profit public institutes with a stated aim of promoting Mandarin language (known in Taiwan as Guóyǔ (國語)), Traditional Chinese characters, and research on Taiwan-related topics. The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of China (ROC) established the Taiwan Academy in 2011.{{cite web|title=Taiwan Academy|url=http://www.walkerinstitute.sc.edu/taiwan-academy|publisher=Walker Institute University of South Carolina|accessdate=26 May 2014}}
History
Although the ROC has operated Chinese schools and cultural centers in foreign countries for years, the Taiwan Academy represent more centralized control over cultural diplomacy with the Executive Yuan's Council for Cultural Affairs (CCA) joining the Overseas Community Affairs Council, which had traditionally concerned itself only with Overseas Chinese. As a candidate, President Ma Ying-jeou proposed the creation of Taiwan Academy during the 2008 Republic of China presidential election, along with a $150 million fund to create a Nobel Prize in Literature-like award for Chinese people.{{cite news|url=http://www.scmp.com/article/706784/soft-power-play|title=Soft-power Play|first=Frank|last=Ching|publisher=South China Morning Post|date=2010-02-24|accessdate=2014-05-25}} The Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office opened the first Academies in New York, Los Angeles, and Houston on 14 October 2011.{{cite news|title=Taiwan Academies open in 3 US cities|url=http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/foreign-affairs/2011/10/16/319974/Taiwan-Academies.htm|accessdate=13 August 2014|agency=CNA|publisher=The China Post|date=16 October 2011}} Immediately, the name "Taiwan Academy" was criticized by legislators from the ruling Kuomintang party as "degrading" and "signifying self-localization", as opposed to a name like "Zhonghua Academy" ({{lang|zh-Hant|中華書院}}), which would emphasize a broader representation of Han Chinese culture.{{cite news|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2011/11/02/2003517276|title=KMT lawmakers miffed at Taiwan Academy's name|author=Chen Hui-ping|date=2011-11-02|accessdate=2014-05-25|publisher=Taipei Times}} The ROC's Minister of Culture Lung Ying-tai said the Taiwan Academies will neither compete with nor cooperate with mainland China's Confucius Institutes for the time being.{{cite news|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2012/06/07/2003534728|title=Academy 'not competing' with PRC|date=2012-06-07|accessdate=2014-05-25|publisher=Taipei Times}} The CCA cited the Taiwan Academy as a way of exerting the government's soft power and to provide "insights into Chinese culture with Taiwanese features".
In addition to the three Taiwan Academies established in the United States, the Ministry of Culture has also set up Taiwan Academy contact points in 64 countries as of September 2013.{{cite web|title=Foreign Policy Report, 8th Congress of the Legislative Yuan, 4th Session|url=http://www.mofa.gov.tw/en/News_Content3.aspx?n=4BAF9BD5400A05D9&sms=BA5E856472F10901&s=AD2C0693F4D93654|accessdate=13 August 2014|date=28 November 2013}} The contact points represent long-term agreements with collaborating educational institutions to assist in the dissemination of information related to the Taiwan Academy and promote programs offered by the academy.{{cite web|last1=Chang|first1=Chia Chi|title=Taiwan Academy-- An introduction to the culture of Taiwan|url=http://www.culture.tw/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2189&Itemid=157|website=Taiwan Culture Portal|accessdate=13 August 2014|date=1 December 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819090747/http://www.culture.tw/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2189&Itemid=157|archivedate=19 August 2014}}
Activities
Taiwan Academy have a budget of $21.1 million per year to fund scholarships for Sinology and Taiwan studies, and will also promote academic exchange with foreigners.{{cite news|url=http://www.mtsac.edu/presidentsboardreport/Taiwan%20launches%20Taiwan%20Academy%20branches%20in%20US.pdf|title=Taiwan launches Taiwan Academy branches in US|first=Grace|last=Kuo|publisher=The China Times|accessdate=2014-05-25|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819082938/http://www.mtsac.edu/presidentsboardreport/Taiwan%20launches%20Taiwan%20Academy%20branches%20in%20US.pdf|archivedate=2014-08-19}} Taiwan Academy are involved with screening movies from and distributing the Culture Ministry's "Taiwan Cinema Toolkit", which features subtitled films from Taiwan-origin directors like Ang Lee and Edward Yang.{{cite news|url=http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aedu/201404280022.aspx|title=Cinema 'toolkit' used to promote Taiwanese films abroad|publisher=China News Agency|date=2014-04-28|accessdate=2014-05-25|first=Christie|last=Chen}}{{cite news|url=http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=216859&ctNode=413|title=MOC launches Taiwan Cinema Toolkit|date=2014-04-29|accessdate=2014-05-25|publisher=Taiwan Today}} Plans for their digital library include a highlight on the island's "non-Chinese" culture.{{cite news|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2011/08/12/soft-power-smackdown-confucius-institute-vs-taiwan-academy/|title=Soft Power Smackdown! Confucius Institute vs. Taiwan Academy|date=2011-08-11|accessdate=2014-05-25|publisher=The Wall Street Journal|first=Aries|last=Poon}}
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- [https://www.moc.gov.tw/en/informationlist_313.html Ministry of Culture Overseas Offices]
{{International cultural promotion organizations}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:2011 establishments in Taiwan
Category:Organizations established in 2011
Category:Schools of Chinese as a second or foreign language
Category:Research institutes of Sinology
Category:Cultural promotion organizations
Category:Foreign relations of Taiwan