Surrounded by Giants: The Making of Modern Taiwan Ofelia Fu Michelle Wu

Introduction A. Small Island Country 1. Less than 1/10 size of Japan million people B. Precarious position: The Taiwanese high-wire act -China, Japan, US C. Preview 1. Brief Political History II. Multi-cultural III. Economically Diverse IV. Educationally Focused

I. Brief History of International Relations A. Japanese Colony for 50 years 1. Infrastructure 2. Cultural Influence B. KMT arrive in Capital 2. Government 3. Language and Culture C. Close American ties 1. Culture 2. Economy II. Delicate Balancing Act 1. Must keep good relations with each 2. Cultural flow from each

II. Multi-cultural A:Indigenous cultures B: International impact 1. China 2. Japan 3.North America/ Europe 4. Foreign worker ( Thai, Philippine) C: Foreign-Friendly 1.Culturally accepting 2.Multi-lingual

II. Economically diverse A. Large international companies ￭ TSMC ￭ ASUS ￭ ACER ￭ HTC ￭ GIANT

B. Myriad small shops and restaurants I. Entrepreneur wonderland

2. Shopping malls and night markets

III. Education Focus

% Figure 2. The University rate in Taiwan year

Conclusion Shaped by geo-political events Small but economically dynamic Rich in cultural variety Future uncertain

References

Discussion Questions 1. Taiwan now has a system with near universal university education. However, the difference in the quality of education and the ability of the students from the top university to the bottom universities is extremely large. Do you think trying to send all citizens to university is a wise goal for a country to pursue? Why or why not?