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The Taiwan Research Hub presents an online book launch
by James Lin, University of Washington
Wednesday 19 November 2025
5-6.30 pm, UK Time
In just half a century, Taiwan transformed from an agricultural colony into an economic power, spurred by efforts of the authoritarian Republic of China government in land reform, farmers associations, and improved crop varieties. In the Global Vanguard elucidates the history and impact of the “Taiwan model” of agrarian development by incorporating how Taiwanese experts took the country’s agrarian success and exported it throughout rural communities across Africa and Southeast Asia. Driven by the global Cold War and challenges to the Republic of China’s legitimacy, Taiwanese agricultural technicians and scientists shared their practices, which they claimed were better suited for poor, tropical societies in the developing world. These development missions were projected in Taiwan as proof of the ruling government’s modernity and technical prowess and were crucial to how the state sought to hold onto its contested position in the international system and its rule by martial law at home. Drawing from chapters 3 and 7, this talk will focus on agricultural science and rural reform of Taiwanese agrarian development.
James Lin is associate professor of international studies at the University of Washington, Seattle, and chair of the University of Washington Taiwan Studies Program. He is author of In the Global Vanguard: Agrarian Development and the Making of Modern Taiwan (University of California Press 2025), which is available to read open access.Chaired by
Dr Chun-yi Lee, Taiwan Research Hub
University of Nottingham University Park Nottingham, NG7 2RD