Archive
Visiting a Buddhist Statue Factory in Taiwan
During my 2016–17 Fulbright fellowship in Taiwan, I had the opportunity to visit the Taoyuan factory of Sheng Kuang 聖光 (Sacred Radiance), a leading manufacturer of Buddhist statuary whose finished work can be found in temples and sacred sites across Taiwan and other parts of Asia. While the company
Gina Elia: Shifting Concepts of Religion and Modernity in Republican-Era Chinese Literature
Gina Elia’s research focuses on the emergence of religious modernity during the Republican Era of the ROC. The literature of Bing Xin, Su Xuelin, and Su Dishan depicts characters who exhibit modern characteristics but traditional religious ideas. These authors believe that a religious mindset is necessary for a truly modern
The Native Speaker: A Category in Need of Rupture
In my language, we say “I love you” a lot. Think about that sentence for a minute. Really think about it. Does it strike you as odd? I speak of my native language, which happens to be English, as though it belongs to me. But how can something as massive
Kristina Chyn: Indirect Effects of Roads and Road Densities on Native Island Reptiles and Amphibians
Kristina Chyn reflected on her Fulbright research year on the ecological impacts of roads on Taiwan’s biodiversity –ecological modeling, data collection in Taiwan’s montane jungles, and preliminary results. Kristina Chyn is an Ecology & Evolutionary Biology PhD student at Texas A&M University and is hosted by the Taiwan Endemic Species
Christine Norton: Cross-Cultural Learning & Outdoor Adventure Therapy
Dr. Norton provides an overview of her Fulbright Teaching project, “Cultural bridging through shared adventure,” as well as other Fulbright-related projects, and the resulting personal and professional outcomes. Christine Norton, LCSW, has a PhD in Social Work from Loyola University Chicago, a MA in Social Service Administration from the University
Barbara Reed: The Transformation of Buddhist Education in Taiwan
Since the 1990s, new and transformed Buddhist educational institutions have developed in Taiwan to meet the needs of a modern, globalized society. Dr. Barbara Reed devoted her Fulbright year in Taiwan to teaching and researching how these new colleges and universities develop different approaches to integrating Buddhist values into modern
Kevin Buckelew: “What is the Buddha?”
“What is the Buddha?”: Authority, Encounter Dialogue, and Ritual Efficacy in the Song-dynasty Chan Tradition Song-dynasty Chan discourse records represent Chan masters as “living buddhas.” But how did this idea attain efficacy in dialogue with an audience during the routine ritual of “ascending the hall”? Kevin Buckelew is a Ph.D.
Hannah Fazio: Taiwan’s Marriage Equality Movement: Lessons Learned and Shared
Hannah Fazio, who studied International Relations at Mount Allison University in New Brunswick, Canada, wanted to study social movements. She came to Taiwan to learn about Taiwan’s push to legalize same-sex marriage and ended up in the right place at the right time! This video features her reflections on her
Integrating Global Curricula: Reflections on Taiwan
I recently discovered that I indeed had something in common with the esteemed Paul Krugman, the 2008 winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics. Not surprisingly, it has to do with Taiwan. My recent visit back to the island brought back to mind many of the reasons why
Wild, Tame, and In-Between: Traditional Agricultural Knowledge of Taiwan Indigenous People
Introduction and Background Many of us would agree that Senator J. William Fulbright’s vision of “a world with a little more knowledge and a little less conflict” will feature healthy ecosystems, appreciation of cultural diversity, and of course, delicious food. However, the world has been moving in the
