The TKU Graduate Institute of Asian Studies and TKU Center for Japan Studies recently held the 2012 Conference on Asian Human Rights. Held at the Ching Sheng International Conference Hall, on Feb 24, the conference marked two years since the signing, by President Ma Ying-jeou, of two important covenants (the ICCPR and ICESCR) relating to human rights. To commemorate two years since the historical signing, a number of leading human rights scholars from Japan and Korea were also invited to be present at the conference.

The conference was hosted by the Director of the Graduate Institute of Asian Studies, Dr. Juo-Yu lin and featured opening remarks by the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, Ming-Tang Chen, and the TKU Vice President for International Affairs, Dr. Wan-Chin Tai. Vice Minister Chen explained that in recent years the government has been actively promoting the development of human rights in Taiwan. He also expressed gratitude to TKU for holding the conference. The person primarily responsible for organizing the event, Associate Professor Samuel Ching-Shan Hu, explained that preparations for the event began over a year ago. He also expressed his delight in having been able to organize a lecture by an international authority in human affairs, the former UN Human Rights Commission Chairman, Prof. Nisuke Ando.