Tunghai University-News--“Exhibition of U.S. and Taiwan Relations Since 1979” at Tunghai University (news release)

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::: Tunghai University-News--“Exhibition of U.S. and Taiwan Relations Since 1979” at Tunghai University (news release)

“Exhibition of U.S. and Taiwan Relations Since 1979” at Tunghai University (news release)

Department : THUPR
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Date : 2020-06-12

” The Exhibition of U.S. and Taiwan Relations since 1979” is from June 8 to August 20 at the expo area on the ground floor of THU Library, featuring historical artifacts, documents, photographs, films, and Augmented Reality to reflect the connectedness of industry, commerce, culture, education, Medicare and sanitation under this bilateral framework since 1979. It is a revisit of AIT’s fruitful contribution in the past 4 decades.

The string quartet composed of students from the music department of our school ushered in the prologue

The grand opening was held on June 11, 2020, co-hosted by THU President MaoJiun Wang and Bradley Parker from AIT. Francis Hu (Chair of the Department of Political Science) and Randall L. Nadeau (Executive of Fulbright Taiwan) were invited to give short talks at the beginning.

President Mao- Jiun Wang(left) and Bradley Parker(right) gives opening remarks

President MaoJiun Wang indicated that Tunghai University had a deep historical connection with the U.S. Dr. William P. Fenn's (the executive secretary of The United Board for Christian Colleges in China) 1952 “Memorandum to the Trustees on the Kind of Christian College I Would Like to See on Formosa” provided important guidance for the development of Tunghai University. On November 11, 1953, the Vice President of the United States of America, Richard Nixon came to host the ground-breaking ceremony. Our teachers of an earlier time were all American scholars. Even now, there are still many professors and lecturers from the States to help Tunghai University with global and interdisciplinary education.

Randall L. Nadeau (Executive of Fulbright Taiwan)Francis Hu (Chair of the Department of Political Science) gives opening remarks

Bradley Parker indicated that he had a 2-week bicycle tour around Taiwan and was deeply impressed by the enthusiasm friendliness. “During those two weeks on the road,” he recalled, “and the three years I spent in Taiwan afterward, I acquired a deep and lasting affection for Taiwan and the Taiwanese people. So much so, that I’ve spend the last twelve years trying to get back here!” Through this tour he had also understood more about Taiwanese history, culture, and stories.

Bradley Parker and President Mao- Jiun Wang took a group photo at the exhibition

He said that he had worked in Hong Kong and Guan Zhou and has been long thinking about the relations among Taiwan, China, and U.S. Taiwan’s achievement today is really beyond expectation. Taiwan has proven to the world of its open-mindedness in that democracy is for all races and religions, and it takes in traditions of the east and west. Bradley Parker further revealed that through this Exhibition, hopefully more people would understand the depth and width of our mutual relations, which was greatly valued by 7 presidents of both parties in the U.S. Taiwan and U.S. relations were important in the past and even more so in the future. We are “true friends for real developments”. This is what we both hope for in the next 4 decades to come to make a better world.

Bradley Parker and President Mao- Jiun pose for a photo at the exhibition wall

The Exhibition this time is a journey back to the past with AIT, conjuring up memories through artifacts, photos, and films. This was a time when many professors were in the States for study. Even though there had been political changes, the connectedness of industry, commerce, culture, education, Medicare and sanitation under this bilateral framework never ceased to grow. The chronicle of important events allows the students to visualize records of important historical events and these include “The Legislative History of Taiwan Relations,” “Documentary of Talks between JingGuo Jiang and Katharine Meyer Graham from the Washington Post,” and Ronald Reagan’s letters to Walter Patrick McConaughy to assure the U.S. promise to Taiwan.
Besides, Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality provide interactive surprises in an artistic way. A documentary by FTV and AIT covers interviews of people in various fields, such as baseball celebrity (Weiyin Chen), percussion musician (Zhongching Ju), Audrey Tang, and former President (Tenghui Lee), Frederic Maerkle (former AIT officer) to share their journey in this Taiwan-U.S. relation.

Exhibition photos

Among all the universities in Taiwan, Tunghai University is one of the few that have a close tie with the U.S. We expect to have more exchanges with universities, institutes, and cultural agencies in the future days to come. Hopefully, this Exhibition helps the youth learn from the past and put it to good use for their future.

Group photo

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