International Indigenous Peoples' Academic Exchange:Fostering Global Partnerships

With the gradual alleviation of the pandemic, international academic exchanges have resumed and gained momentum. Over the past two months, the Center for International Indigenous Affairs(CIIA)at National Dong Hwa University(NDHU)has actively reinstated its commitment to facilitating substantial academic exchanges and collaborations with international Indigenous nations. Through frequent international visits and hosting of delegations, the center has showcased its determination to become a global partner.

Recently, Professor Jolan Hsieh(Bavaragh Dagalomai謝若蘭Siraya Nation), the Director of the CIIA, was invited by Professor Scott Simon from the School of Sociological and Anthropological Studies at the University of Ottawa(UO)in Canada to serve as a visiting scholar. During this short-term visit, Professor Hsieh delivered two public lectures and participated in activities within the local Indigenous community, thereby strengthening the research and educational cooperation between UO and NDHU in the realm of international education and decolonization. The visit coincided with the Convention of the First Nations Assembly in Canada, where Professor Hsieh engaged in discussions with First Nations leaders and representatives to exchange perspectives on the impact of the global pandemic on Indigenous communities. Furthermore, strategic planning and consultations regarding the recently signed Indigenous Peoples Economic and Trade Cooperation Arrangement(IPETCA)were conducted in collaboration with local Indigenous groups in Canada and the Taiwan Representative Office in Canada. Since 2014, the CIIA has been collaborating with the University of Ottawa to facilitate bilateral study abroad programs. In 2020, a memorandum of cooperation was signed between NDHU's College of Indigenous Studies and the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Social Science, reflecting years of fruitful interaction and research cooperation between the two institutions. Professor Hsieh emphasized that her role as a visiting scholar exemplifies the active bilateral interaction between the two universities.

Additionally, the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association(NAISA)recently held its annual conference in Toronto, Canada. NAISA serves as a prominent academic platform for Indigenous scholars and researchers in the field of Indigenous studies worldwide. This conference marked the first physical gathering since the 2019 annual conference held in Aotearoa New Zealand. Professor Hsieh, invited by the organizing committee, attended the NAISA conference as a representative from East Nations, bringing with her the wampum received in 2019. During the conference, the Taiwanese delegation engaged in academic diplomacy with scholars from Canada, the United States, Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, Norway, and other Indigenous Nations. Professor Hiu-Ha Chong(莊曉霞), Professor Chin-Ju Lin(林津如), Associate Professor Dana E. Powell, along with their team, focused on the theme "Together, Stronger: Indigenous Women and Collective Power in Taiwan's Decolonization Era" and presented and exchanged the research findings of their transdisciplinary research projects funded by the National Science and Technology Council of Taiwan. In an interview with the organizers after the conference, Professor Hsieh emphasized the active engagement of Taiwan's Indigenous scholars in academic exchanges and policy sharing at international conferences like NAISA, with the aim of expanding Taiwan's international visibility and contributing to Indigenous research on a global scale.
➜《English Version》


