Taiwan and Hong Kong have shined in the international community in recent years and have become important and prominent cases in humanities and social science research. However, excessive pursuit of the visibility of the two places in the international community is relatively detrimental to the role and positioning of the two places in the current development of the academic circles and society, and it is more likely to have unrealistic imaginations about the future of the two places; moreover, overemphasis Visibility and participation in international affairs are likely to make the academic circle superficial, ignoring the economic growth and social competitiveness of the two places, and thus failing to understand the characteristics and influence of the two places in the international community in a deeper, wider and systematic way.

 

The purpose of the National Sun Yat-sen University Taiwan-Hong Kong International Studies Center is to promote research goals including humanities and social sciences, regional studies, and international relations under the school's development goal of "cross-field learning". The main task of the establishment of the Center is to coordinate the research on Hong Kong and Taiwan, and its related fields of international affairs, and to support the four major areas of academic research, knowledge dissemination, social participation and academic seminars in the field of dragons. The academic circles in the two places and overseas have gained people and the public a comprehensive understanding of the history, culture, economy, and politics of Taiwan and Hong Kong within the framework of international relations. The Center pays special attention to breaking through the "state"-centered discourse in traditional international relations research. Because international activities involve extremely complex exchanges between a large number of cross-cultural groups, there are particularly rich gray areas where it is difficult to distinguish right from wrong. Both rely on the philosophy of "clear water without fish" to survive. State agents (agents) and non-state actors can have very different thinking and behavior patterns in the same time and space.

 

In view of the above situation, the center plans to launch a series of research projects on the role and influence of state and non-state actors in Taiwan and Hong Kong in international material, economic, cultural, and political exchanges, with a view to improving Chinese-speaking international relations and history in the next few years. The academic community promotes this important research perspective. As the above-mentioned examples point out, in international exchanges and interactions, in addition to the state and the government as units, non-state actors also affect historical changes at different levels. In many cases, the influence of individuals or ethnic groups on the international stage can often exceed that of countries and governments. The above-mentioned phenomenon not only occurs today, but also can be seen in history. Because non-state international exchange activities were often ignored or excluded by the government at that time, historical records often labeled them as "improper", and thus were not valued by scholars. However, "improper" interactions are not necessarily contrary to the regime's interests. Today, when globalization and Industrial Revolution 4.0 have become a reality, the influence of non-governmental individuals and groups has increased exponentially due to the advancement of Internet technology and the trend of disintermediation, which deserves more attention from the academic community. The specific tasks of the center are listed as follows:

 

1.    To promote the development of international studies on Taiwan and Hong Kong in Taiwan and international academic circles;

 

2.    provides consultation for different decision-making units and social institutions with special research;

 

3.    Cultivate relevant research talents and establish academic networks;

 

4.    Strengthen academic exchanges between Taiwan and Hong Kong;

 

5.    Promoting exchanges and cooperation at home and abroad in the study of international relations between Taiwan and Hong Kong: invite relevant domestic and foreign officials, scholars and experts to give lectures and conduct short-term Research and teaching guidance; conduct related seminars, workshops and academic seminars at home and abroad;

 

6.    Other matters related to the research and development of international relations between Taiwan and Hong Kong.