Northern Institute of Taiwan Studies

The Northern Institute of Taiwan Studies (NorITS) is an interdisciplinary hub of teaching, research, public policy and cultural activities, whose main aim is to promote the development of academic study on Taiwan and take part in social and cultural exchanges between the British world and Taiwan.

NorITS is nestled under the Institute for the Study of the Asia Pacific (ISAP) which serves as the umbrella institute for Asia Pacific Studies at the University of Central Lancashire.

About us

Established in June 2018, NorITS is the outcome of a coordinated effort by five experts in Taiwan Studies, Prof Niki Alsford and Dr Lara Momesso, as NorITS Co-Directors, Dr Adina Zemanek, Dr Ti-han Chang and Dr Moises Lopes de Souza as members of the team, each approaching Taiwan from a different disciplinary angle, including history, anthropology, gender studies, migration studies, cultural studies, environment studies, literature and international relations.

Meet the team

Honorary professors

PhD students

Teaching

NorITS teaching and research is underpinned by formal relationships with academic partners and embedded in global academic and policy networks through the activities and research of UCLan’s academic staff. At UCLan, students study Taiwan at Undergraduate, Masters and PhD level. Furthermore, all students are entitled to apply for travel bursaries and to use the various language learning media and resources available via the university’s Worldwise Learning Centre.

In the second year of the Undergraduate Asia Pacific Studies programme, students can opt to take the Taiwan in the Asia Pacific Module. The top five students based on the assessment have the chance to go to Taiwan as part of the Travelling Seminar

Taiwan Travel Seminar

The Taiwan Travel Seminar is a student experience trip to allow a group of selected students who attended the module ‘Taiwan in the Asia Pacific’, to get to know Taiwan first-hand.

"The Taiwan Travel Seminar was the highlight of my year! It was a great opportunity to experience what I have learnt in the classroom in real life and being able to visit such a beautiful place is something I never thought would happen. I learnt a lot about myself along the way while also discovering new areas of research for future projects as well as meeting so many amazing people! If you haven't been to Taiwan I recommend going!"

Atlanta Waples, Asia Pacific Studies student

Events

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2021 Taiwan Festival – Literature Strand

The 2021 Taiwan Festival – Literature Strand took place on the 8th and 9th March 2021. It hosted talks from contemporary Taiwan authors, Shawna Yang Ryan and Wu Ming-yi and academics, Dr Gwennaël Gaffric, Dr Ti-han Chang, and Prof Niki Alsford showcasing a range of Taiwan Literature covering topics of climate change and migrants.

UCLan Scholarship Discussion

On the 17th February 2021 NorITS joined the IKSU, NEPCAP, IJS, COAST, and ISAP for the UCLan API Scholarship Discussion. Students heard from funders and previous recipients of scholarships, study abroad opportunities and work placements available to students of UCLan. Speakers included: Assistant Director of the Education Division at the Taipei Representative Office (TRO), Canny Liao, Secretary General of the European Association of Taiwan Studies, Ms Isabelle Cheng, Pagoda Projects, Course Leader of MA North Korean Studies, Dr Sojin Lim, Lecturer in Japanese, Dr Mareike Hamann, Dr Robert Kasza.

Taiwan: New decade, old challenges? Roundtable

The Taiwan: New Decade, Old Challenges Roundtable discussion took place on the 13th January 2021. In the last years, Taiwan has been on the spotlight for several reasons: its advanced democracy has been seen as a model in a region still threatened by authoritarian governments. Furthermore, its quick response to the challenges brought by Covid-19 has been observed and celebrated around the world.

A new decade has just started, and Taiwan is in a position to make a difference regionally and globally as never before. In this roundtable we will be discussing the old and new challenges that have been presenting to Taiwan at the turn of this new decade, with the aim to understand its role in regional and global politics for the next future.

Including international speakers:

  • Professor Gunter Schubert, University of Tuebingen (Germany)
  • Dr Stefano Pelaggi, Sapienza University (Italy)
  • Dr Prashant Kumar Singh, Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (India)
  • Dr Fabricio A. Fonseca, Tamkang University (Taiwan)
  • Donovan Courtney, Co-founder/Editor/Host at Taiwan Report, Co-publisher Compass Magazine (Taiwan)
  • Dr Greg Coutaz, Tamkang University (Taiwan)

Related articles

  • Two people reading about artefacts

    Research by Professor Niki Alsford examines the connections between Taiwan and the United Kingdom in the late 19th and early 20th centuries

    Wednesday 8 September 2021