The Twelfth Month of Being Thirty: From SOAS to Columbia University

Dean Yang (center) met with Professor Dafydd Fell (right) and Rachel Gover (left), the Head of Study Abroad at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.（Photo by IMAS）
Dean Yang (right) met with Claudia Becker (left), the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Education at Humboldt University.（Photo by IMAS）
Dean Yang discussed cooperation matters with the Global Studies Program at Humboldt University. From left to right: Henning Kloter, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Education at Humboldt University; Daniel Bultmann, Director of the Global Studies Program; and Dean Yang.（Photo by IMAS）
Dean Yang visited the Global Mobility Office at Humboldt University. From left to right: Dean Yang; Katharina Konig, Secretary of the International Office; Christina Bohle, Director of the Global Mobility Office; Henning Kloter, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Education; and Professor Daniel Fuchs from the Institute of Asian and African Studies.
Dean Yang discussed exchange matters with scholars from the Graduate School of East Asian Studies at the Free University of Berlin. From left to right: Researcher Katrin Gengenbach, Researcher Silvia Paoli, Professor Eun-Jeung Lee, Dean Yang, and Dr. Stefan Rummel, Director of the International Office.
Dean Yang (right) with Dr. Patrick Köllner (left), Director for Asian Studies and Vice President of the German Institute for Global and Area Studies.
Dean Yang (left) discussed the possibility of placements for young scholars with David Merkel (right), Head of the China Desk at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, and Gudrun Wacker (center), Senior Researcher at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs.
Dean Yang, along with President Li Tsai-Yen and Vice President for International Cooperation Ching-Ping Tang, warmly welcomed the visitors from Columbia University.
Group photo of participants from NCCU's College of Social Sciences and Columbia University's Weatherhead East Asian Institute.
Group photo of participants from NCCU's College of Social Sciences and Columbia University's Weatherhead East Asian Institute.
Date : 2024-07-16 Department : International Master’s Program in Asia-Pacific Studies
【Article by IMAS】
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the College of Social Sciences (CSS). To highlight the achievements over the past three decades, the CSS office has particularly emphasized its international accomplishments. Beginning with the renovation of the International Conference Hall, CSS has hosted numerous conferences, lectures by distinguished scholars, and cross-national academic cooperation as well as student activities throughout the year.
As summer approached and most students were on break, the CSS entered the 12th month of its 30th anniversary. However, the CSS office did not slow down its efforts toward internationalization. Dean Yang Wan-Ying visited the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London in the UK, Humboldt University, and the Free University of Berlin in Germany, exploring possibilities of establishing cooperation agreements. During her visit, Dean Yang resolved differences in academic systems on all sides, further implementing cooperation in student exchanges, thereby providing CSS students with the opportunity to study at prestigious universities in the UK and Germany.
Dean Yang also visited the German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA) at the University of Hamburg, as well as the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS). GIGA, in addition to providing policy recommendations to the German government, has multiple important SSCI academic publications. The KAS not only holds significant political influence but also offers scholarships to many young scholars studying in Germany. Given the current prominence of Taiwan-related issues, both institutions expressed great interest in Dean Yang's proposals for scholar exchanges and placements for young students.
After visiting five academic institutions in Europe, Dean Yang hurried back to Taipei to host the joint event celebrating the 30th anniversary of the CSS and the 75th anniversary of the Weatherhead East Asian Institute (WEAI) at Columbia University. Prof. Lien-Hang T. Nguyen, the director of the WEAI, along with two prominent China studies scholars, Prof. Andrew J. Nathan, and Prof. Myron L. Cohen, expressed that the CSS would become a significant partner for Columbia University in Taiwan studies in the future.
Dean Yang Wan-Ying stated that implementation is the most crucial aspect of internationalization efforts. Alongside English lectures and a willingness to collaborate with international elite institutes, long-term placements are needed to understand the academic environment abroad and achieve tangible results. The CSS has placed significant emphasis on implementation over the past three years and will continue to showcase the outcomes of its collaborations with prestigious universities over the next three years.