March 12, 2022 marks the 50th Anniversary of the Institute of European and American Studies (IEAS). As a comprehensive research institution, the IEAS has always taken pride in being a “concept laboratory” providing a platform for scholars of various fields with disparate professional knowledge to stimulate the Institute’s research potential and advance its academic accomplishments through intellectual interaction and cooperation. Through cooperation and with support, IEAS research faculty are empowered to realize their professional capabilities and expertise. The commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the IEAS demonstrates the continuity of the Institute’s accumulated academic energy, continuing growth and exploration, and leads to the unveiling of a new model of sustainable development. The IEAS enjoys abundant resources, a free research environment, and rich academic heritage. Since taking over as the director of this Institute, I have adhered to the practices of past leaders and members, offering efficient administrative assistance reflecting the three objectives initiated by President of Academia Sinica James C. Liao: achieving world-class research globally, fulfilling social responsibility on key issues, and recruiting and cultivating outstanding talents. The existing academic system and division of disciplines is largely derived from Industrial Revolution era Europe. Since the United States assumed a dominant global position in the midst of World War II, American modes of thought have affected Taiwanese academics profoundly. Today, in the context of a more fluid global environment, academic reintegration, demarcation, and the emergence of new topics are but a few of the emergent challenges scholars face. To confront emerging challenges, the IEAS needs to diversify further while maintaining the core values of European and American Studies. The IEAS must strategically extend how it approaches research, taking account of academic outlooks, universal values, and global perspectives, to better connect Taiwan with the rest of the world. Consequently, the IEAS must further develop understandings and discussions of the common weal and woe. In terms of research themes, we aim to examine topics especially relevant to European and American Studies, featuring a distinctively Taiwanese perspective that will help distinguish the work from that of other research institutions. With established foundations in Taiwan and an eye to the future, the IEAS will endeavor to shoulder academic responsibility and commitment for reinspecting, relating, and reflecting upon the global order, ideologies, and research, informed by European and American principles. IEAS Director March 1, 2022 Preface
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTQ2MTk4NA==