Introducing Dr Adrian Chiu, New Programme Manager of the Taiwan Studies Programme
Dr Adrian Chiu
The Oxford School of Global and Area Studies (OSGA) is pleased to welcome Dr Adrian Chiu as the new Senior Research Fellow and Programme Manager of the Taiwan Studies Programme.
A political scientist whose research focuses on Taiwan–Hong Kong relations, political identity and party politics, Dr Chiu brings a strong comparative perspective and experience in fostering academic networks to his new role. His wider research interests include cross-Strait relations, China's international relations and social movements.
As he takes up his new position, Dr Chiu shares his vision for the Programme, reflecting on its intellectual direction, international connections and the research community he hopes to build at Oxford.
My Vision for the Taiwan Studies Programme
Dr Adrian Chiu
My vision for the Taiwan Studies Programme has three parts. First, I would like the Taiwan Studies Programme to use Taiwan as a case study to ask broader questions about comparative politics and International Relations. The point is not to move away from Taiwan's distinctive context, but to make Taiwan theoretically productive. The aim is to begin with Taiwan but continually connect its political experience to broader comparative politics debates. I think that comparative orientation can become an important part of the Programme's intellectual identity.
The second part of my vision is connection. I see the Programme as sitting between three spaces: Oxford, Taiwan, and the international Taiwan Studies community. Oxford brings research expertise and students. Taiwan brings scholars, institutions and a rich empirical field. And the wider Taiwan Studies community provides international networks and opportunities for collaboration. I would like to bring the network-building experience from my previous work to Oxford, so the Programme can build sustained intellectual connections.
This connects to the final part of my vision: building an organic research community. For me, the Programme's success should not be measured simply by the number of events it organises. Research workshops should help develop new comparative and collaborative projects. A strong graduate community should bring students into actively contributing to research debates rather than treating them simply as an audience. Visiting scholars should have sustained interaction with Oxford researchers and students. So the aim is to develop an intellectual ecosystem around Taiwan Studies in Oxford, rather than simply an isolated programme of events.
