Taiwan hit its target of administering the first dose of a coronavirus vaccine to 25% of the population before the end of July, but herd immunity remains a long way off. In roughly eight weeks, Taiwan’s vaccination rate has increased from less than 1% to more than 30%. Large donations from Japan (3.34 million doses…
The COVID-19 pandemic has presented Taiwan with a unique opportunity to gain a lead in the Asia-Pacific’s new drug discovery sector. But for Taiwan to excel, the biomedical industry is calling for a change of policies. Taiwan has been striving for many years to position itself as a regional biomedical hub and an attractive location…
While the world has become increasingly familiar with Taiwanese semiconductor giants like TSMC and UMC, these companies rely on the support of a tightly knit, specialized local supply chain. Located in Taiwan’s silicon stronghold of Hsinchu County is a world-class leader in the island’s robust semiconductor supply chain. The company in question is not the…
After a year with no typhoons, Taiwan is currently experiencing its worst drought in more than half a century. Reservoirs revealed their eerie secrets as the water level receded: bridges, schools, and even whole abandoned villages were uncovered. As of April, the worst-hit areas of Taichung and Miaoli Counties have been put on “Red Alert,”…
The island’s world-leading ICT and semiconductor sectors have come under the spotlight following a series of high-profile cyberattacks. In late March, Taiwanese tech hardware giant Acer reportedly was the victim of a ransomware attack – a type of cyberattack in which money is demanded in exchange for hacked sensitive data. According to media reports, the…
The ROC’s two territories in the region have strategic and political significance, yet both are difficult to defend. Taiwan’s Coast Guard in March twice conducted live-fire drills on the Pratas Islands – known in Chinese as the “Dongsha” – located in the South China Sea 450 kilometers southwest of Kaohsiung. Such exercises were rare in…
Military planners say asymmetric platforms will boost Taiwan’s overall warfighting capabilities, raising the cost to Beijing of an invasion. The People’s Republic of China has been threatening to annex Taiwan by force for seven decades. The threat has not been credible until recently, with the ruling Communist Party becoming increasingly emboldened by the country’s rapid…
This school year, students in 85 selected Taiwanese elementary and junior high schools – an increase from 65 last year – are gaining exposure to English in courses aside from the usual language classes. In those schools, English is being used as a language of instruction in courses such as the arts, humanities, health, and…
The government is seeking to greatly increase the level of English fluency in the Taiwan population by 2030 through a variety of programs, mainly focusing on improving the effectiveness of English teaching in the schools. The goal is to raise Taiwan’s international competitiveness. But classroom learning will need to be supplemented through the creation of…
Though sweeping in its ambition, the Bilingual Nation plan seems to have largely overlooked one key area: culture. The Blueprint refers to “promoting bilingual services at cultural and educational venues,” but neglects the need to address cultural influences in a larger sense – factors that need to be taken into account in any attempt to…
