2025 GW Taiwan Studies Research Fellows Presentation

The GW Taiwan Education and Research Program (TERP) and the Global Taiwan Institute (GTI) cordially invite you to attend its annual panel showcase of research projects conducted by the 2024-2025 cohort of Taiwan Studies Research Fellows!

The GW Taiwan Studies Research Fellows Program, administered by TERP, encourages outstanding graduate and undergraduate students to conduct research on any aspect of Taiwan by providing essential resources and mentorship for their study. The Program is designed to provide students with the opportunity to connect with the GW Taiwan studies faculty members, conduct research, participate in Taiwan-related programming, and receive mentorship in the field of Taiwan affairs. The students will present their research projects and preliminary findings for a hybrid audience of their peers, advisors, professors and members of the public. Please join us for an informative panel discussion that will cover a broad range of Taiwan studies topics, including video games and folk religions, military villages, Taiwan relations with Southeast Asian countries, and more!

About the Speakers:

Dayna Bailey is a second-year graduate student in Chinese Language and Culture with a BA in Chinese Language and Literature. Her recent academic work focuses on modern and classical Chinese literary translation, and she is currently working on her master’s thesis on the translation and analysis of Su Hui’s palindrome poem《璇璣圖》. A passionate linguist, Dayna has studied more than ten languages, which she enjoys using to explore global literature.

Faculty Advisor: Xiaofei Kang

Research Project: “To Hell and Back – The Influence of the Video Game Devotion
on the Taiwanese Guanluoyin Folk-Religious Practice”

Kyle Nguyen is from the Bay Area, California, and is a sophomore undergraduate student at the Elliott School of International Affairs. He is majoring in International Affairs with a concentration in Security Policy and minoring in Data Science. His research interests include the modern security relations between East Asian countries. During his TERP Fellowship, Kyle will analyze the economic and security aspects of Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy (NSP) and its impact on Taiwan’s relationship with China, the US, and Southeast Asia nations.

Faculty Advisor: Sunggun Park

Research Project: “Assessing the Intricacies of Taiwan’s Southbound Policy and its Effects on Regional Activity in Overall East Asia“

Fiona Stokes is a Taiwanese American sophomore undergraduate student at the Elliott School of International Affairs. Within her IA major, she is concentrating on Contemporary Cultures and Societies. In addition, she is double majoring in Art History. During her TERP Fellowship, Fiona will be interviewing former inhabitants of Taiwanese military villages to better understand how its culture set the framework for contemporary Taiwanese society.

Faculty Advisor: Patricia Chu

Research Project: “Dinner at Air Force Village No. 2”

Discussants:

Adrienne Chih-fang Wu is the program manager at the Global Taiwan Institute and the host and producer of Taiwan Salon, GTI’s cultural policy and soft power podcast. With an interest in exploring the intersection of culture and policy, her research focuses on how Taiwan can strengthen international connections through nation branding, cultural diplomacy and a strong civil society. She is also a member of the UC Berkeley U.S.-Taiwan Next Generation Working Group, where she is conducting a research project on the barriers to importing Taiwanese cultural products. Before joining GTI, she graduated from Ritsumeikan University and Kyunghee University with a Dual Master’s Degree in International Relations. She spent seven years living in Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan—including three years of teaching English in Japan and Taiwan and a year of study at Waseda University while pursuing her B.A. in Honors East Asian Studies from McGill University. She also worked at the Presidential Precinct to help facilitate the Mandela Washington Fellowship Program for young African leaders. As a Taiwanese-American, the mission of GTI is close to her heart, and she is excited to be part of an organization committed to better public understanding of Taiwan worldwide.

Ben Levine is a program assistant at the Global Taiwan Institute. He graduated from George Washington University with a MA in Chinese Language and Culture. Ben received his BA from Boston University majoring in international relations, with a functional concentration in international economics and a regional concentration in Asia. Previously, Ben was awarded a fellowship from the Taiwan Education and Research Program at GWU to research Taiwanese defense policy and hypothetical US responses. He also was awarded a Huayu Enrichment Scholarship in August 2022, allowing him to spend 9 months in Taipei at National Chengchi University studying Mandarin. His research focuses on Taiwan’s defense policy and various social and economic issues in Taiwan.

Moderator:

Richard J. Haddock is the Assistant Director of the Sigur Center for Asian Studies at the George Washington University, where he leads the Center’s robust Taiwan affairs programming, outreach, and curriculum development. He is also a member of the UC Berkeley U.S.-Taiwan Next Generation Working Group, where his research focuses on U.S.-Taiwan education diplomacy and exchange. Previously, he has held positions at the GW East Asia National Resource Center, the National Democratic Institute’s Asia team, the American Institute in Taiwan’s Public Diplomacy Section, and the U.S. Department of State.

Mr. Haddock is currently pursuing a PhD in Public Policy and Public Administration at the George Washington University, focusing on digital democracy and e-governance development in the Asia-Pacific. He holds an MA in Asian Studies from the Elliott School, with a concentration on domestic politics and foreign policy of East Asia. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a BA in Political Science and minors in Asian Studies and Diplomacy.

Host or Publisher George Washington University's Taiwan Education and Research Program