EVENT DESCRIPTION
Please join the Global Taiwan Institute as we host a panel titled “A Political Profile of Taiwan’s Youth.” With the Sunflower Movement of 2014, Taiwanese youth became a significant factor in Taiwan’s politics. But there are different characterizations of the political tendency of this young political generation. One popular characterization is that Taiwan’s youth is “born pro-independent” (tianran du), whereas another characterization depicts this young generation as “strawberry,” meaning they have no strong commitment to defend Taiwan. What does Taiwan’s younger generation really think about democracy, Taiwan’s relation with China, and defending Taiwan? The Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD) recently conducted a survey to assess attitudes toward these critical issues. GTI is pleased to welcome TFD President Dr. Szu-chien Hsu to share the survey’s findings and Dr. Daniel Twining, president of the International Republican Institute, as the discussant.
Doors will open at 11:30. A light lunch will be served, and the event will begin at 12:00. Kindly RSVP by March 30. Please direct questions or concerns to Program Associate Marzia Borsoi-Kelly at mborsoikelly@globaltaiwan.
**Media: Please contact Ms. Borsoi-Kelly at mborsoikelly@globaltaiwan.
PANELISTS
Dr. Szu-chien Hsu assumed the position of President of the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD) on June 17, 2016. He has a view to make TFD a more dynamic and engaging organization in supporting and deepening democracy both within Taiwan and around the region. Dr. Hsu earned his Ph.D. in political science from Columbia University. Before serving at TFD, Dr. Szu-chien Hsu was an Associate Research Fellow at the Institute of Political Science at Academia Sinica in Taipei, and the Director of the Center for Contemporary China at the National Tsinghua University in Hsinchu, Taiwan.
Dr. Daniel Twining joined the International Republican Institute (IRI) as president in September 2017, where he leads the Institute’s mission to advance democracy and freedom around the world. He leads IRI’s team of nearly 400 global experts to link people and governments, motivate people to engage in the political process, and guide politicians and government officials to be responsive to citizens. Previously, he served as counselor and director of the Asia Program at The German Marshall Fund of the United States. Prior to GMF, Twining served as a member of the U.S. Secretary of State’s Policy Planning Staff, as the foreign policy advisor to U.S. Senator John McCain, and as a staff member of the U.S. Trade Representative. He has taught at Georgetown University and served as a military instructor associated with the Naval Postgraduate School. He has been a columnist for Foreign Policy and Nikkei and served as an advisor to six presidential campaigns.