The Graduate Institute of European Studies (GES) from the College of International Studies (CIS) hosted a conference on “The European Union’s Enlargement—from the Candidate Countries’ Perspective” last Saturday, Nov. 26th at Ching-sheng International Conference Hall. Over a hundred delegates from Austria, Latvia, Hungary, Portugal, Poland, and Taiwan, attended the event.

President Chang pointed out in his opening speech that TKU actually set up its GES more than 30 years ago to promote research on European issues. TKU has had numerous student exchanges with Europe, and it will continue to do so to demonstrate our concern over European Union and do everything it can to support its friends over there. Mr. Brian McDonald, Head of the European Economic and Trade Office, also expressed his thanks to TKU at the conference for its support, and hoped for closer ties between Taiwan and EU in the near future. He said that it was a major concern to all members of the EU regarding its enlargement; therefore, he was pleased that TKU provided such an opportunity for experts from all over the world to discuss and offer input to the expansion of EU at the conference.

The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tou Chou-seng spoke at the conference about the closer relationship between Taiwan and EU. For example, the EU set up a representative office in Taipei for the first time in March this year was a major step towards building common links. Hence, he was appreciative of TKU’s efforts in furthering this process by hosting such a conference.

The other institute of CIS, the Graduate Institute of International Affairs and Strategic Studies (GIIASS), will also contribute to Taiwan’s ties with the world by hosting another conference: “International security situation and that of Taiwan after the 2nd Persian Gulf War” at nine a.m. this Saturday, Dec. 6th. There will be scholars in this field from the United States, United Kingdom and Australia to present papers and exchange views with their counterparts from Taiwan. They intend to focus on two main issues: International strategic security situation changes after the 2nd Persian Gulf War and Asia-Pacific security environment development after the 2nd Persian Gulf War. Those scholars who will present papers on these two issues are Neil James, Executive Director of Australian Defence Association; Eric A. McVadon, a research fellow of the U.S. Atlantic Council in Africa; Andrew Kennedy, Director of Asia Studies, King’s College, University of London; John Caldwell, a research fellow of Center for Emerging Threats and Opportunities, U.S; John Russell Jones, a research fellow of King’s College, University of London; Ron Huiskan, a research fellow of Strategic Studies and Defence Studies Centre from Australian National University. The discussion sessions on these two issues will be chaired by Professor ShawYu-ming, from TKU’s Graduate Institute of International Affairs and Strategic Studies and Professor Thomas B. Lee of TKU’s Graduate Institute of American Studies respectively.