SDG17
Island Chain Humanities Project: Fan-Sen Wang discussing intellectual history's societal impact
The four universities of the Taiwan Comprehensive University System (TCUS) are actively collaborating on research and development in the humanities field. Today, at the Chih Teh Hall on the Cheng-Kung campus of NCKU, they held the inauguration ceremony for the first year of the 'Island Chain Humanities Research Strategy Alliance Project' under the theme 'Island Chain: Thought.' The inaugural master lecture was delivered by Academician Fan-Sen Wang, the Chairman of TCUS, focusing on 'Examining the Significance of Intellectual History from a Social Perspective.' He discussed interdisciplinary academic insights spanning history, philosophy, sociology, and more, providing rich perspectives for shaping Taiwan's social and cultural landscape. This marks the exciting beginning of the four-year strategic alliance project, which promises to delve deep into humanistic thinking.
During his welcoming remarks, President Meng-Ru Shen of NCKU expressed, 'One person may walk fast, but to go far, we need to walk together as a group.' He expressed great pleasure in seeing the four universities united through the TCUS and eagerly anticipates their collaborative efforts and shared learning of new knowledge.
Academician Fan-Sen Wang, a key figure behind the 'Island Chain Humanities Research Strategy Alliance Project' and Chairman of the TCUS, emphasized that we all start as individuals before becoming engineers, doctors, lawyers, and so on. He stressed that university education should provide a broad spectrum of humanistic education. Together, the four universities see the Island Chain Humanities as a starting point and look forward to future collaborations, particularly in aesthetic education.
The 'Island Chain Humanities Research Strategy Alliance Project' shifts from a political and strategic perspective of the 'Island Chain' to constructing an academic system development based on the knowledge chain of 'Island.' It emphasizes cross-university, interdisciplinary, and international exchanges and dialogues. The goal is to gather academic teams from the four universities, extend discussions from Taiwan to neighboring countries, delve deeper into various humanities themes, and promote understanding and resonance among Taiwan and its surrounding nations. The first-year project, organized by the Humanities and Social Sciences Center at NCKU, focuses on the core theme of 'Island Chain: Thought,' integrating the development of 'Taiwan Studies.' It critically examines the relationship dynamics among the island chain from different historical perspectives, literary interpretations, and ecological system knowledge.
Established in 2011, the Taiwan Comprehensive University System (TCUS) comprises NCKU, National Sun Yat-sen University, National Chung Hsing University, and National Chung Cheng University. It strives to effectively utilize educational resources, reduce educational resource disparities, and establish a more dynamic and competitive higher education system, yielding fruitful results. To further enhance the humanistic atmosphere and deepen social concerns across the four universities, Academician Fan-Sen Wang, Chairman of the TCUS, not only initiated the 'Island Chain Humanities Research Strategy Alliance Project,' in collaboration with the humanities and social science centers of the four universities, but also raised a starting fund of 10 million New Taiwan Dollars for the project.
The distinguished guests who attended the inauguration ceremony on the afternoon of the 11th included: NCKU Vice President Yuh-Neu Chen, Director of the Humanities and Social Sciences Center at NCKU, Chun-Li Tsai, Associate Director of the Humanities and Social Sciences Center at NCKU, Shan-Hui Hsu, Director of the Research Center for Humanities and Social Sciences at CCU, Hao-Yi Dai, Director of the Center for Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences at NCHU, Dong-Jie Tsai, Director of the Humanities Research Center at NSYSU,Mark Frederick McConaghy, and faculty and student representatives.
"At the inauguration ceremony, the 'hourglass' served as the central symbol, vividly conveying the multifaceted significance of the new collaboration among the four universities. The 'hourglass' not only symbolizes the blending of humanistic academic strengths among the four universities in the TCUS but also represents the journey starting from Taiwan and gradually extending outward, connecting the four universities, spanning islands, and demonstrating the determination to extend this connection globally. The image of sand gathering to form a tower also represents the transformation of the alliance from a micro-level perspective to a macro-level vision, with research paths expanding from delving into local humanistic issues to pioneering a global humanistic perspective."
"After the conclusion of the inauguration ceremony, Academician Fan-Sen Wang delivered a master lecture titled 'Examining the Significance of Intellectual History from a Social Perspective,' delving into the interaction between intellectual history and society. During the lecture, Academician Wang drew on a metaphor of the potted flowers on the lectern to illustrate how thoughts are like fragrances, often challenging to discern which flower emits a specific scent. He emphasized the importance of deeply observing 'layers of history,' reminding the audience that 'history is not only diverse but also multi-layered; it should be understood both from top to bottom and from bottom to top.'"
Academician Fan-Sen Wang pointed out that if thoughts were likened to a great wave, they often gather momentum over a long period. Many past thoughts gradually 'seeded' in the minds of readers, taking 200 to 300 years from inception to fruition. Believing that the ideas of a particular thinker hold contemporary significance might lead to misjudgments of history, resulting in a 'misplacement of epochs,' and a perception of history as lacking lessons. His lecture engaged with multilayered and linear perspectives on history, providing attendees with deeper angles of reflection, enhancing the depth and breadth of humanistic and social thinking, and propelling further developments in the 'Island Chain Humanities' research field. The inauguration ceremony also laid a solid foundation for cooperation in the humanities within the Taiwan Comprehensive University System, bringing forth new academic opportunities and prospects. (For more lecture details, please visit the 'Island Chain Humanities' website.)
During his welcoming remarks, President Meng-Ru Shen of NCKU expressed, 'One person may walk fast, but to go far, we need to walk together as a group.' He expressed great pleasure in seeing the four universities united through the TCUS and eagerly anticipates their collaborative efforts and shared learning of new knowledge.
Academician Fan-Sen Wang, a key figure behind the 'Island Chain Humanities Research Strategy Alliance Project' and Chairman of the TCUS, emphasized that we all start as individuals before becoming engineers, doctors, lawyers, and so on. He stressed that university education should provide a broad spectrum of humanistic education. Together, the four universities see the Island Chain Humanities as a starting point and look forward to future collaborations, particularly in aesthetic education.
The 'Island Chain Humanities Research Strategy Alliance Project' shifts from a political and strategic perspective of the 'Island Chain' to constructing an academic system development based on the knowledge chain of 'Island.' It emphasizes cross-university, interdisciplinary, and international exchanges and dialogues. The goal is to gather academic teams from the four universities, extend discussions from Taiwan to neighboring countries, delve deeper into various humanities themes, and promote understanding and resonance among Taiwan and its surrounding nations. The first-year project, organized by the Humanities and Social Sciences Center at NCKU, focuses on the core theme of 'Island Chain: Thought,' integrating the development of 'Taiwan Studies.' It critically examines the relationship dynamics among the island chain from different historical perspectives, literary interpretations, and ecological system knowledge.
Established in 2011, the Taiwan Comprehensive University System (TCUS) comprises NCKU, National Sun Yat-sen University, National Chung Hsing University, and National Chung Cheng University. It strives to effectively utilize educational resources, reduce educational resource disparities, and establish a more dynamic and competitive higher education system, yielding fruitful results. To further enhance the humanistic atmosphere and deepen social concerns across the four universities, Academician Fan-Sen Wang, Chairman of the TCUS, not only initiated the 'Island Chain Humanities Research Strategy Alliance Project,' in collaboration with the humanities and social science centers of the four universities, but also raised a starting fund of 10 million New Taiwan Dollars for the project.
The distinguished guests who attended the inauguration ceremony on the afternoon of the 11th included: NCKU Vice President Yuh-Neu Chen, Director of the Humanities and Social Sciences Center at NCKU, Chun-Li Tsai, Associate Director of the Humanities and Social Sciences Center at NCKU, Shan-Hui Hsu, Director of the Research Center for Humanities and Social Sciences at CCU, Hao-Yi Dai, Director of the Center for Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences at NCHU, Dong-Jie Tsai, Director of the Humanities Research Center at NSYSU,Mark Frederick McConaghy, and faculty and student representatives.
"At the inauguration ceremony, the 'hourglass' served as the central symbol, vividly conveying the multifaceted significance of the new collaboration among the four universities. The 'hourglass' not only symbolizes the blending of humanistic academic strengths among the four universities in the TCUS but also represents the journey starting from Taiwan and gradually extending outward, connecting the four universities, spanning islands, and demonstrating the determination to extend this connection globally. The image of sand gathering to form a tower also represents the transformation of the alliance from a micro-level perspective to a macro-level vision, with research paths expanding from delving into local humanistic issues to pioneering a global humanistic perspective."
"After the conclusion of the inauguration ceremony, Academician Fan-Sen Wang delivered a master lecture titled 'Examining the Significance of Intellectual History from a Social Perspective,' delving into the interaction between intellectual history and society. During the lecture, Academician Wang drew on a metaphor of the potted flowers on the lectern to illustrate how thoughts are like fragrances, often challenging to discern which flower emits a specific scent. He emphasized the importance of deeply observing 'layers of history,' reminding the audience that 'history is not only diverse but also multi-layered; it should be understood both from top to bottom and from bottom to top.'"
Academician Fan-Sen Wang pointed out that if thoughts were likened to a great wave, they often gather momentum over a long period. Many past thoughts gradually 'seeded' in the minds of readers, taking 200 to 300 years from inception to fruition. Believing that the ideas of a particular thinker hold contemporary significance might lead to misjudgments of history, resulting in a 'misplacement of epochs,' and a perception of history as lacking lessons. His lecture engaged with multilayered and linear perspectives on history, providing attendees with deeper angles of reflection, enhancing the depth and breadth of humanistic and social thinking, and propelling further developments in the 'Island Chain Humanities' research field. The inauguration ceremony also laid a solid foundation for cooperation in the humanities within the Taiwan Comprehensive University System, bringing forth new academic opportunities and prospects. (For more lecture details, please visit the 'Island Chain Humanities' website.)
Today (11th), the four universities of the Taiwan Comprehensive University System actively launched the 'Island Chain Humanities Research Strategy Alliance Project' at the Chih Teh Hall of NCKU. The inauguration ceremony for the first-year 'Island Chain: Thought' series event vividly conveyed the multifaceted significance of the new collaboration, with the 'hourglass' symbolizing its core essence.
The four universities of the Taiwan Comprehensive University System jointly launched the Island Chain Humanities Project, holding its inaugural master lecture today (11th) at NCKU. The lecture, delivered by Academician Fan-Sen Wang from the Academia Sinica, explored the interplay between intellectual history and society.
Chain Humanities Research Strategy Alliance Project aims to gather academic teams from the four universities of the Taiwan Comprehensive University System to explore various humanistic themes, extending discussions from Taiwan to neighboring countries. This endeavor seeks to deepen understanding and foster resonance among Taiwan and its surrounding nations.
"The first year of the four-year Taiwan Comprehensive University System's 'Island Chain Humanities Research Strategy Alliance Project,' undertaken by the Humanities and Social Sciences Center at NCKU, featured its inaugural master lecture on October 11th afternoon. The lecture delved into multilayered historical perspectives, offering rich insights for shaping Taiwan's social and cultural landscape and setting the stage for the subsequent project, rich in humanistic depth. (Left: Academician Fan-Sen Wang, Chairman of the TCUS; Right: Vice President Yuh-Neu Chen of NCKU)"
