The Taiwan Studies Programme is delighted to announce that Hsin-Huang Michael Hsiao, Distinguished Research Fellow at the Institute of Sociology, Academia Sinica, will be presenting the first of the 2016/17 series of Taiwan Studies lectures on "The third democratic regime change of Taiwan in 2016: context, significance and assessment".
Speaker biography
Professor Hsin-Huang Michael Hsiao is currently distinguished research fellow, Institute of sociology, Academia Sinica,; professor of sociology in National Taiwan University (Taipei) and National Sun Yat-sen University ( Kaoshiung); and chair professor of Hakka studies, National Central University (Chung-Li, Taoyuan). His current research areas are a. middle class, civil society and democratization in Asia, environmental history, b. climate governance, and risk society in Taiwan , and c. Hakka ethnic experiences in Taiwan and Southeast Asia. His recent edited publications Chinese Middle Classes: Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao and China (Routledge, 2014), Democracy or Alternative Political Systems in Asia (Routledge, 2014), Policy Responses to Precarious Work in Asia (IOS, Academia Sinica, 2015), Lessons of Taiwan's Local Environments (Chu-Liu Books, 2015), How to Cope with China Risks: The Challenges for Japanese, Korean and Taiwanese Firms (University of Tokyo, 2016), and Youth and Social Change in Taiwan and Hong Kong (Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2016).
Abstract
On January 16 2016, Taiwan witnessed the third democratic regime after the first one in 2000 and the second one in 2008. To appreciate better and fully the meaning of this democratic consolidation experience, the broader social and political contexts of the resurrection of civil society activism over the past eight years under Ma's rule should be examined. The revival of politicized civil society momentum against KMT's failure in economy and cross-strait relations have contributed, to a great extent, to the defeat of KMT. The significance of the DPP's victory and the third state power transition includes the consolidation of democracy and Taiwanese identity, the impacts range from the realization of multifaceted transitional justice and institutional reforms to a possible permanent shift in Taiwan-China relations. Since May 20, President Tsai and her administration have been taking on many new tasks to fulfill DPP's campaign promises and, therefore, a half-year early assessment will be in order.
The presentation Professor Hsiao gave on the 14 November can be found here at The Third Democratic Regime Change in Taiwan in 2016 (PDF).