【Article by International College of Innovation】
The Director of the French Office in Taipei, Cécile Renault, visited the International College of Innovation (ICI) on Jan. 12th to discuss a series of colloquiums planned for 2023, which will be marked as the "Year of Intellectual Discourse."

Renault was very impressed by the ICI's emphasis on cross-disciplinary research and innovative teaching, as well as the "Theater of Negotiation" project organized by ICI and Centre for Innovative Democracy (CID) in the TFAM biennial 2020 (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKyMAsc3wg0 for details). The Theater of Negotiation is a teaching approach developed by French scholar Bruno Latour and applied at Sciences Po in Paris for the training of civil servants. It was introduced to Taiwan in 2019 and was featured in the TFAM biennial 2020. The approach encourages students to combine technological and social analyses and engage with real stakeholders to develop negotiation skills and problem-solving abilities. ICI has applied this approach in several of its courses.

The director stated that the colloquiums will feature renowned scholars and writers from France and Taiwan. The goal of these dialogues is to address climate crisis issues and current global conflicts, with a particular emphasis on engaging young generations. The ICI, known for its enthusiasm for experimentation, venturing spirit, and rich experiences in international collaborations, is an ideal partner for this initiative. The French Office in Taipei hopes to invite teachers and students of ICI to participate in the colloquiums to reinforce the France-Taiwan bond and provide critical thinking practice opportunities for students.

Dean Tu expressed appreciation for the recognition and invitation from Director Renault. The executive director Lin Li-Chun of the CID, also stated that the colloquiums align well with the center's core values of enhancing public deliberations, and both sides can make full use of each other's network resources to expand social awareness and understanding of democratic participation.

Dean Tu hopes to create more opportunities for French students to learn about Taiwan and to choose National Chengchi University for their higher education. Director Renault noted that the teaching philosophy and research directions of the ICI align with the Sciences Po, and hopes for more collaborations at the college level in the future. She is willing to assist both sides in further cooperation and communication.