Published: Mar 27, 2017 by C. Berry & L. Robinson (eds), Chinese Film Festivals: Sites of Translation (London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2017), pp.57-78
Authors: Ming-Yeh T. Rawnsley
Subjects: Film and Video, Asian Studies

This paper answers two research questions: (1) how does Taiwan’s Golden Harvest Award translate the western-derived concept and practice of the “film festival” into its cultural environments? (2) How does the Golden Harvest Award translate Chinese and Taiwanese cultures to the outside world?

Published: Jun 07, 2016 by Gunter Schubert (ed), Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Taiwan
Authors: Ming-yeh T. Rawnsley
Subjects: Film and Video, Asian Studies, Communications Studies

This chapter builds on the existing literature of culture, democratisation and cinema in Taiwan and addresses the impact of democratisation from the perspective of culture by using the development of Taiwan cinema as a case study. It takes three approaches— historical, agency and structural— to examine how culture in Taiwan has democratised since the 1980s.

Published: May 06, 2016 by China Policy Institute Blog, University of Nottingham
Authors: Ming-yeh T. Rawnsley
Subjects: Area Studies, Asian Studies

A short report on the 13th Annual Conference of the European Association of Taiwan Studies (EATS) in Prague, 30 March-1 April 2016

Published: Feb 29, 2016 by Orizzonte Cina 7(1): pp.9-11
Authors: Ming-yeh T. Rawnsley and Jonathan Sullivan
Subjects: Media and Cultural Studies, Mass Communications, Area Studies, Asian Studies, Communications Studies

A brief introduction to the media system in Taiwan in the 21st century.

Published: Dec 30, 2015 by China Policy Institute Blog, University of Nottingham
Authors: Shih-Chien Chang
Subjects: Area Studies, Asian Studies, Communication Studies

Routledge Handbook of Chinese Media provides scholars and students with rich materials to comprehend modern Chinese media and society especially in respect of political objectives. This is a well organized, thematically integrated and carefully executed handbook that is worthy of recommendation.

Published: Jul 10, 2015 by Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television
Authors: Ming-yeh T. Rawnsley
Subjects: Media and Cultural Studies, Area Studies, Asian Studies, Communication Studies

This article is a review of Qi Wang's book, Memory, Subjectivity and Independent Chinese Cinema (Edinburgh University Press, 2014)

Published: Jun 01, 2015 by Gary Bettinson (ed.), Directory of World Cinema: China 2. London: Intellect, 2015, pp.173–175
Authors: Ming-yeh T. Rawnsley
Subjects: Media and Cultural Studies, Asian Studies, Communication Studies

Hou Hsiao-hsien is one of the most prominent filmmakers of Taiwan New Cinema, a film movement of the 1980s which strived to reconnect with Taiwanese society by drawing inspiration from the realist tradition. This article examines Hou's seventh feature film and final work for the Central Motion Picture Cooperation, Dust in the Wind (1986).

Published: Jun 01, 2015 by Gary Bettinson (ed.), Directory of World Cinema: China 2. London: Intellect, 2015, pp.87–91
Authors: Ming-yeh T. Rawnsley
Subjects: Media and Cultural Studies, Asian Studies, Communication Studies

Ang Lee is arguably the most successful Chinese filmmaker in Hollywood when he received the second Best Director Academy Award for Life of Pi (2012) in early 2013. While some may attribute Lee’s popularity to Hollywood’s growing dependence on the Asian film markets and an increasing flow of talent out of Asia and into Hollywood since the 1990s, it is important to note that Lee’s route to Hollywood has been atypical.

Published: May 20, 2015 by German-Chinese Media Network
Authors: Ming-yeh T. Rawnsley
Subjects: Media and Cultural Studies, Asian Studies, Communication Studies

The similarities and differences experienced by the media and their consumers in the PRC, Hong Kong and Taiwan — and their interactions with each other and the rest of the region and the world — makes us realise that the landscape of Chinese media in the new millennium is multicultural, multilingual, and multinational.

Published: May 06, 2015 by G. Rawnsley and M.Y. Rawnsley (eds) (2015), Routledge Handbook of Chinese Media. London: Routledge, pp.298-311
Authors: Ming-yeh T. Rawnsley and Chien-san Feng
Subjects: Asian Studies, Communication Studies

This chapter traces the development of public service television in the People’s Republic of China. It unravels the endeavors by Chinese elites to reconcile competing concerns from different sections of the society in implementing Public Service Broadcasting within the Chinese context.

By: Ming-yeh T. Rawnsley
Subjects: Area Studies, Asian Studies, Education

Topical section of the International Journal of Taiwan Studies

 “Education and society in contemporary Taiwan”

 Guest Editors: Professor Edward Vickers (Kyushu University) and Dr Lin Tzu-bin (National Taiwan Normal University)

Call for Papers:

 Education was widely seen as a crucial ingredient in the formula for the ‘economic miracle’ in post-war Taiwan. As in Korea and Japan, a comprehensive and relatively egalitarian system for provision of public compulsory schooling helped underpin a pattern of rapid development with high levels of social mobility, at least until the 1980s. But the concomitant of this relative uniformity was a high degree of regimentation associated with the attempt to sustain a homogenous and totalizing vision of national identity premised on Taiwan’s ‘Chineseness’.

 Taiwan’s transition to a prosperous, democratic, predominantly middle-class society has been accompanied by growing impatience in many quarters with this uniform, and uniformly Chinese, approach to education. At the same time, slowing economic growth, declining social mobility and entrenched credentialism have boosted demand for greater ‘choice’ within the public system, as well as for private schooling and examination-preparatory ‘shadow education’. There have been louder calls for diversity in both forms of educational provision and curricular content. The appeal of diversity and choice as slogans of educational reform is further enhanced for many by the desire to reposition Taiwan as a ‘multicultural’ Asian society rather than an exclusively Chinese one.

 As in other prosperous ‘developed’ societies, higher education has meanwhile become a middle-class rite of passage, with the costs of diploma inflation borne mostly by families rather than the state. The capacity of the economy to generate graduate-level employment for the burgeoning graduate workforce has been increasingly strained, fueling youth discontent and causing some to seek opportunities overseas or on the Chinese mainland – even while low-skilled positions are increasingly filled by immigrants from Southeast Asia. Politicians and businessmen, for their part, still look to universities to provide an injection of ‘innovation’ to restore the economic magic of the ‘miracle’ decades.

 Superficially, then, much has changed in Taiwan’s ‘post-miracle’ educational landscape – in ways that mirror the broader socio-economic and political changes of the past forty years. Below the surface, though, how deep do these changes run? To what extent has the strongly instrumentalist orientation of the system towards generation of ‘human capital’ been moderated by broader conceptions of education’s goals? What influence have global trends towards marketization, metrics, ‘accountability’ and the other paraphernalia of neoliberal ‘new public management’ had over policy in the educational sphere? How far has the ideology of meritocracy and welfare minimalism that underpinned dominant attitudes to education during the high growth era been challenged or transformed in a context of lower growth and declining social mobility? And has the role of schooling in political socialization, and underlying assumptions concerning the meaning of national citizenship (under a ‘Chinese’ or ‘Taiwanese’ label), been fundamentally altered?

 These are amongst the issues that this topical section seeks to address. The editors are keen to solicit manuscripts that analyze the relationship of educational policies, practices or institutions with contemporary Taiwan’s broader social and political context. Contributions that examine technical aspects of educational practice are not appropriate for this journal. Papers that adopt a comparative or historical perspective are particularly welcome.

 Those interested in contributing should send an abstract of around 350 words to the guest editors by the date indicated below. Please send the abstracts to Dr. Lin Tzu-bin at this address: [email protected]

 Deadline for submission of abstracts: 22 / 04 / 2019

 Deadline for submission of draft manuscripts (for those shortlisted for inclusion in the topical section): 31 / 08 / 2019

By: Ming-yeh T. Rawnsley
Subjects: Area Studies, Asian Studies

Dr Ming-Yeh Rawnsley and Professor Gary Rawnsley's joint application to the Chiang Ching-Kuo Foundation Publication Grant is successful. The grant will be used to support the International Journal of Taiwan Studies (IJTS) during its crucial launch year in 2018. The IJTS Editorial Office is hosted by the Department of International Politics, Aberytwyth University. Dr Ming-Yeh Rawnsley is the journal's Editor-in-Chief while Professor Gary Rawnsley the Book Review Editor.

IJTS is the first internationally collaborative, multidisciplinary, and peer-reviewed academic research journal in English dedicated for scholars, teachers, and students from around the world who have an active and passionate interest in Taiwan and Taiwan-related subjects. The journal is devoted to all aspects of Taiwan Studies, including social sciences, arts and humanities, and topics which are interdisciplinary in nature. This publication on Taiwan Studies, a rapidly growing field with an increasingly critical influence, aims to reach academics and policymakers of different cultural backgrounds, disciplinary perspectives and methodological approaches. Submissions and subscriptions welcome. For more information, please visit: http://eats-taiwan.eu/academic-journal-ijts/

By: Ming-yeh T. Rawnsley
Subjects: Applied Arts & Music, Area Studies, Art & Visual Culture, Asian Studies, Communications Studies, Film and Video

Taiwan Cinema: International Reception and Social Change has now a dedicated Facebook page. For book launch photos, discount vouchers, slide show, reviews and any other timely updates, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/ChiuRawnsleyRawnsley/ 

By: Ming-yeh T. Rawnsley
Subjects: Applied Arts & Music, Area Studies, Art & Visual Culture, Asian Studies, Communications Studies, Film and Video

Did you know regular filmmaking on Taiwan only started in the 1950s? With a Taiwanese-language film industry? Between then and the 70s, 1,000-plus Taiwanese-language features were made. However, the budgets were miniscule, the companies short-lived, and there was no archive. They were quickly forgotten, and only 200-plus survive. But now Taiwan’s lost commercial cinema is being recovered and restored by the Taiwan Film Institute. Our project brings 7 scholars together for a symposium at King’s College London on 7 October 2017, launching a screening tour across the UK and Europe featuring 10 films.

The European Research Center on Contemporary Taiwan (ERCCT), Tubingen University will be one of the touring venues. The sceening and talk of selected Taiwanese-language films in Tubingen will be this year's ERCCT Taiwan Documentary Film Festival. The event will take place on 4 November 2017 (Saturday). Timetable is as follows:

10:00 a.m. Introduction: Taiwan’s Lost Cinema project, Dr. Ming-Yeh Rawnsley
10:20 a.m. 天字第一號The Best Secret Agent (Zhang Ying, 1964)
12:00 Lunch break
1:00 p.m. Introduction, Dr. Ming-Yeh Rawnsley
1:05 p.m. 地ç„新娘The Bride Who Has Returned from Hell (Hsin Chi, 1965)
3:00 p.m. Break
3:15 p.m. Introduction, Dr. Ming-Yeh Rawnsley
3:20 p.m. å±éšªçš„é’春 Dangerous Youth (Hsin Chi, 1969)
4:55-5:30 p.m. Discussion

By: Ming-yeh T. Rawnsley
Subjects: Applied Arts & Music, Asian Studies, Communication Studies, Film and Video

Open lecture by Ming-Ye Rawnsley on Taiwanese film and screening of the documentary film The Lost Kingdom

ABOUT THE EVENT

By: Ming-yeh T. Rawnsley
Subjects: Applied Arts & Music, Area Studies, Asian Studies, Communication Studies, Film and Video, History

By: Ming-yeh T. Rawnsley
Subjects: Economics, Finance, Business & Industry

Chinese version (trans. Ming-yeh Rawnsley) of Made in Britain: How the Nation Earns its Living (by Evan Davis) will be published in Taiwan at the end of May 2017.

What are countries famous for making? For Japan, the answer might be electronic goods. For Germany, automobiles. For France, perhaps a Louis Vuitton bag. But what about Britain?

Here, Evan Davis sets himself the task of finding out. Offering a fascinating look at Britain's manufacturing industries and revealing the various companies that might not be household names, but are very much world leaders in their fields, he shows how the UK has learnt to specialise in high end and niche areas that are the envy of the world.

Taking in the nation's disappointments and successes, Made in Britain is a brilliantly readable tour of the economic history of the UK, exploring the curious blend of resilience, innovation and economic free-thinking that makes the British who they are.

What may other countries, such as Taiwan, learn from the British story of economy? After all, many modern economies all face similar challenges of globalisation...

By: Ming-yeh T. Rawnsley
Subjects: Applied Arts & Music, Asian Studies, Film and Video

On its 20th anniversary, the Chiang Ching-Kuo Foundation International Sinological Center at Charlse University (Prague) will host the world-renowned Taiwanese film director Hou Hsiao-hsien (City of Sadness, Millenium Mambo, Assassin) and the famous Taiwanese novelist and screenwriter Chu Tien-wen. You can meet them at the opening of Hou Hsiao-hsien’s Film Festival in Ponrepo Cinema on 2 – 10 May 2017, or at the round table discussion within the conference Taiwan Cinema and Cultural Dynamics (3 May 2017, 15.00 – 16.30, Karolinum, Charles University, Prague 1): https://cckisc.ff.cuni.cz/en/2017/04/11/hou-hsiao-hsien-in-prague/

After Prague, Hou and Chu will visit Germany and then conducte a Masterclass in Dublin (hosted by Professor Chris Berry, King's College London): https://allevents.in/dublin/masterclass-with-hou-hsiao-hsien-and-chu-tien-wen/248410548965788#

By: Ming-yeh T. Rawnsley
Subjects: Area Studies, Asian Studies

The 2018 European Taiwan Studies Young Scholar Award (YSA)

Deadline: 31 August 2017

1^st Prize: €1000; 2^nd Prize: €600; 3^rd Prize: €400

 The EATS Young Scholar Award (YSA) is open to applicants who are currently enrolled on a Master’s or PhD programme, or are within three years of having submitted their PhD dissertation but are not currently in a full-time lectureship. In their papers, applicants should address the 2018 EATS conference theme, “Sustainable Taiwan”. Applicants must be a current EATS member. EATS board members are not eligible to apply.

Submission: Papers should be written in English, and only single-authored, unpublished original research papers will be accepted. However, candidates may submit papers that are under review for publication in a scholarly journal at the time of the 2018 EATS conference. Each applicant may submit only one paper of 7000–9000 words (including bibliography/reference and notes). Please include in the title page the author’s full name, institution, email address, and postal address.

The deadline for submission of full papers is 31 August 2017. Please submit to [email protected] and cc [email protected]. Please specify the subject as “your name + YSA 2018”.

Evaluation: Submissions will be evaluated according to their relevance to the field, originality, clarity of methodology, quality of the writing, and respect for the rules of quotation. After a double blind external review process, the EATS Board will nominate by the end of November 2017 no more than 3 finalists. The finalists will be invited to present their works at the EATS conference in Zurich, Switzerland, 4–6 April 2018. During the conference, their papers and formal presentations will be further assessed.

Award: The final results of the 2018 European Taiwan Studies YSA will be announced at the Closing Ceremony of the 2018 EATS annual conference. Each prize winner will be presented with an official certificate and monetary award (1^st Prize: €1000; 2^nd Prize: €600; 3^rd Prize: €400).

Important Notice:

 YSA finalists must arrange their own travel to Zurich. Each of them will receive a partial reimbursement of travel and/or accommodation during the conference as per EATS conference regulations. Absence from the EATS conference will be considered as withdrawal from the competition.

 Paper submissions to YSA will not be automatically considered as an abstract submission for the 2018 EATS annual conference. Please follow the guidelines of the 2018 EATS Call for Papers to submit your abstract to participate in the EATS Annual Conference in Zurich.

By: Ming-yeh T. Rawnsley
Subjects: Area Studies, Asian Studies

Call for Papers

“Sustainable Taiwan”

 15^th Annual Conference of the European Association of Taiwan Studies (EATS)

Zurich, Switzerland, 4–6 April 2018

 Deadline for submission of abstracts to

Regular Panels: 31 August 2017

MA Panels: 31 October 2017

In environmental sciences ‘sustainability’ means ‘the quality of not being harmful to the environment or depleting natural resources, and thereby supporting long-term ecological balance’. However, ‘sustainability’ is more than a recent buzzword and embraces a much broader philosophy and practice. If we consider ‘sustainability’ as an ecosystem, a lifestyle, a community or a world that is capable of supporting itself and its surroundings indefinitely, we believe ‘sustainability’ is an equally important concept for scholars and students of all disciplines – social sciences, arts and humanities, or Taiwan Studies generally.

The 15^th Annual Conference of the European Association of Taiwan Studies (EATS) adopts a broadly defined theme of ‘sustainability’ and invites researchers of all backgrounds to address the following questions: How have the people on Taiwan survived political, social and cultural challenges? How may Taiwan contribute to a more sustainable world in the future? What are the issues facing the islanders today to maintain their lifestyles and what solutions to them could be proposed? Are Tsai Ing-wen’s approaches to transitional justice, gender equality, cross-strait relations, economic growth, environment, and cultural development sustainable?

For submission, please send an abstract of 500 words (including 3–5 keywords in Word Document), together with a separate page indicating your first name, surname, affiliation, status (i.e. Faculty, MA, PhD, Researcher), gender and email contact to [email protected] (subject: abstract of SURNAME, Given Name) and cc. [email protected] by 31 August 2017. After a double-blind external review process, we will announce the successful submissions by 30 November 2017.

To encourage junior researchers, EATS will organize special panels for students currently enrolled in MA programmes to practice their presentation skills and to receive critical feedback on their work. The MA panels are not confined by the theme of the conference, although it should be relevant to the broadly defined field of Taiwan Studies. To submit to MA panels, please send an abstract of 300-500 words on a topic of your choice, together with a separate page indicating your first name, surname, affiliation, gender and email contact to [email protected] (subject: MA abstract of SURNAME, Given Name) and cc. [email protected] by 31 October 2017. After a double-blind review process, we will also announce the successful submissions by 30 November 2017.

Accepted postgraduate presenters (PhD and MA students) who are affiliated with European institutions, or the 2018 Young Scholar Award finalists, will receive a travel grant of €150.