“Taiwan-Japan Civil Society Forum: Grassroots and Networks,” organized by Graduate Institute of Future Studies and Graduate Institute of Japanese Studies of TKU, Graduate School of Taiwanese Studies of Waseda University, sister university of TKU, and some 23 Taiwan’s and Japan’s Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), was held at Howard International House Taipei on June 16 and 17. More than 200 people participated in the meeting, which was the large-scale and cross-border communication among Taiwan’s and Japan’s NGOs for the first time in recent years.

Apart from inviting Mr. Lee Teng-hui, former President of Taiwan, and Mr. Hsieh Chang-ting, former Premier of the Executive Yuan, to deliver speeches. The Forum also asked Dr. Hsiao Hsin-Muang, Professor of Academia Sinica, and Dr. Nishikawa Jun, Professor of Waseda University, to present keynote speeches about civil society. Dr. Nishikawa Jun will be the Visiting professor of our Graduate Institute of Japanese Studies from this September to next February. There were six forums at the same time on June 17. ( ~Shu-chun Yen )