TASC's mission is to build and strengthen student-to-student ties between the United States and Taiwan.
We hope to create a new U.S-Taiwan social narrative for our generation.
We look towards a future where American and Taiwanese view each other as partners and equals.
We look towards a future where American and Taiwanese view each other as partners and equals.
Today, students from East Asia and the United States are interacting at historically unprecedented rates. At present, 45 percent of all international students at American universities are from China, Korea, or Japan. Conversely, during the 2011-12 school year, 14,887 American students studied in China, 5,283 studied in Japan, and 2,695 studied in South Korea. Following current trends, the rates of American students studying abroad in East Asia are expected to rise in coming years.
Taiwan, however, is missing from this growth narrative. While almost 15,000 Americans studied in China during 2011-12, only 820 Americans studied in Taiwan in the same year. Likewise, according to a 2013 report from the Institute of International Education, only 21,867 Taiwanese students studied in the United States during the 2011-12 school year. This falls in line with a steady rate of decline that has existed since 1993-4, when the number of Taiwanese students in the U.S. peaked at 37,581 -- a 41% drop in under two decades. These figures are particularly sobering in light of the fact that Taiwan was the leading sender of students to the U.S. in 1987-88, after which it was quickly displaced by China.
As current students at American and Taiwanese universities, we see the direct impact of this decline firsthand. While interest in China continues to spread across American campuses, interest in Taiwan remains barely existent. American students do not see the value of traveling to Taiwan, instead viewing Taiwan as nothing more than an offshoot of mainland China. A vast majority of Chinese language students opt to study Simplified characters instead of Traditional, deciding early on that their soon-to-be-acquired Chinese skills are not meant to be used in Taiwan. Few Americans can identify Taiwan on a map. Even fewer Americans can identify the factors that make Taiwan unique.
Likewise, the combination of a challenging economy and a shifting global balance is actively discouraging Taiwanese students from pursuing opportunities in the States. With college graduates struggling to find stable employment in Taiwan, traveling abroad to the United States remains a distant dream for many. Today, Taiwanese young people are criticized for being superficial, passive, and lacking in global awareness -- criticisms that, while arguably unsympathetic to the socio-economic circumstances faced by young Taiwanese today, are nonetheless difficult to deny.
These are discouraging facts to swallow. Rather than remain disheartened, we see this as an opportunity to spark revolutionary change.
Taiwan, however, is missing from this growth narrative. While almost 15,000 Americans studied in China during 2011-12, only 820 Americans studied in Taiwan in the same year. Likewise, according to a 2013 report from the Institute of International Education, only 21,867 Taiwanese students studied in the United States during the 2011-12 school year. This falls in line with a steady rate of decline that has existed since 1993-4, when the number of Taiwanese students in the U.S. peaked at 37,581 -- a 41% drop in under two decades. These figures are particularly sobering in light of the fact that Taiwan was the leading sender of students to the U.S. in 1987-88, after which it was quickly displaced by China.
As current students at American and Taiwanese universities, we see the direct impact of this decline firsthand. While interest in China continues to spread across American campuses, interest in Taiwan remains barely existent. American students do not see the value of traveling to Taiwan, instead viewing Taiwan as nothing more than an offshoot of mainland China. A vast majority of Chinese language students opt to study Simplified characters instead of Traditional, deciding early on that their soon-to-be-acquired Chinese skills are not meant to be used in Taiwan. Few Americans can identify Taiwan on a map. Even fewer Americans can identify the factors that make Taiwan unique.
Likewise, the combination of a challenging economy and a shifting global balance is actively discouraging Taiwanese students from pursuing opportunities in the States. With college graduates struggling to find stable employment in Taiwan, traveling abroad to the United States remains a distant dream for many. Today, Taiwanese young people are criticized for being superficial, passive, and lacking in global awareness -- criticisms that, while arguably unsympathetic to the socio-economic circumstances faced by young Taiwanese today, are nonetheless difficult to deny.
These are discouraging facts to swallow. Rather than remain disheartened, we see this as an opportunity to spark revolutionary change.
Let's write a story.
By its very nature, TASC empowers students to build bridges between cultures and nations. For three weeks, TASC brings together 21 American students and 21 Taiwanese students and takes them on an adventure throughout Taiwan. As young people ourselves, we know that young people have an innate yearning to connect with others in meaningful ways. By merely providing these 42 students with an environment to allow this spirit to flourish, TASC could easily foster long-lasting cross-cultural connections without even trying.
We want to do more than that. We've recently redesigned TASC to be an experience that embodies a greater purpose -- one that points towards a future where U.S-Taiwan relations are defined by the sense of empathy and teamwork between its people.
The time for TASC is now. Even as we enter the so-called Pacific century, civil interpersonal discourse between Americans and Asians is still greatly lacking. American perceptions of Asians as the "perpetual foreigner" are the most prolific form of hostile treatment faced by Asians living in America today. Likewise, non-white Americans working and studying in Asia are frequent targets for racism and exoticism. In today's cross-Pacific civil discourse, there remains a clear, fundamental ignorance on both shores of what it truly means to be American, and what it truly means to be Asian.
TASC is the beginning of a new story. We see the current lack of cultural exchange between the U.S. and Taiwan as a valuable opportunity to challenge the current U.S-Asia social narrative. Our identity as a joint U.S-Taiwan collaboration puts us in the perfect position to initiate cross-cultural dialogue that engages and benefits both nations equally.
We want to do more than that. We've recently redesigned TASC to be an experience that embodies a greater purpose -- one that points towards a future where U.S-Taiwan relations are defined by the sense of empathy and teamwork between its people.
The time for TASC is now. Even as we enter the so-called Pacific century, civil interpersonal discourse between Americans and Asians is still greatly lacking. American perceptions of Asians as the "perpetual foreigner" are the most prolific form of hostile treatment faced by Asians living in America today. Likewise, non-white Americans working and studying in Asia are frequent targets for racism and exoticism. In today's cross-Pacific civil discourse, there remains a clear, fundamental ignorance on both shores of what it truly means to be American, and what it truly means to be Asian.
TASC is the beginning of a new story. We see the current lack of cultural exchange between the U.S. and Taiwan as a valuable opportunity to challenge the current U.S-Asia social narrative. Our identity as a joint U.S-Taiwan collaboration puts us in the perfect position to initiate cross-cultural dialogue that engages and benefits both nations equally.
What makes us different?
TASC is wholly student-designed and student-run. Every year, a team of seven Taiwanese students and seven American students is elected to organize and plan the conference. We are not affiliated with any government initiative or political faction; we do not operate under a larger umbrella organization.
TASC is built on human connection. With every conference, we bring together 42 strangers and turn them into a family. This year, we will be kicking off the conference with a two-day leadership orientation in which students will learn to wrestle with conflict and address key issues essential to intercultural work. Our goal is to not only empower students to communicate with each other effectively, but to do so with a sense of empathy, respect, and responsibility.
TASC allows Taiwanese and American students alike to view Taiwan in a brand new light. Our 21-day itinerary is designed to give students a hands-on experience in Taiwan. From exclusive tours of Taipei 101 to intimate homestay experiences with host families, we expect that students will choose to engage, not just observe -- and in doing so, gain valuable experiential knowledge of Taiwan and its issues.
TASC turns ideas into action. Every conference culminates in the Final Forum, where students present project proposals to a panel of local and global ripplemakers. These projects suggest practical, long-term solutions to issues affecting Taiwan and the United States today. This is where we put TASC's teamwork and communication skills to the test. We believe that quality teamwork produces quality results -- and that TASC's emphasis on teamwork and bridge-building is essential to our professional, innovative project proposals. For this year, projects will focus on the following five topics: education, media, business & startups, cultural renaissance, and health & society.
TASC is built on human connection. With every conference, we bring together 42 strangers and turn them into a family. This year, we will be kicking off the conference with a two-day leadership orientation in which students will learn to wrestle with conflict and address key issues essential to intercultural work. Our goal is to not only empower students to communicate with each other effectively, but to do so with a sense of empathy, respect, and responsibility.
TASC allows Taiwanese and American students alike to view Taiwan in a brand new light. Our 21-day itinerary is designed to give students a hands-on experience in Taiwan. From exclusive tours of Taipei 101 to intimate homestay experiences with host families, we expect that students will choose to engage, not just observe -- and in doing so, gain valuable experiential knowledge of Taiwan and its issues.
TASC turns ideas into action. Every conference culminates in the Final Forum, where students present project proposals to a panel of local and global ripplemakers. These projects suggest practical, long-term solutions to issues affecting Taiwan and the United States today. This is where we put TASC's teamwork and communication skills to the test. We believe that quality teamwork produces quality results -- and that TASC's emphasis on teamwork and bridge-building is essential to our professional, innovative project proposals. For this year, projects will focus on the following five topics: education, media, business & startups, cultural renaissance, and health & society.
Our Hope
We hope for American delegates to return to the United States ready to challenge preexisting American ideals of Asia. We hope for American delegates to come to view Taiwan and the Taiwanese people not as China Lite, nor a business opportunity, nor a charity case, nor a mere cultural experience -- but as a uniquely compelling people and nation. We hope for American delegates to remember Taiwan by the depth of the interactions they were able to have with its people and its places.
We hope for Taiwanese delegates to gain confidence and see their hidden potential. At TASC, Taiwanese delegates are challenged to discuss complex topics and design projects with American delegates entirely in English. We hope for Taiwanese delegates to know that their experience at TASC is just the beginning. We hope for Taiwanese delegates to become engaged global citizens who actively encourage their peers to challenge themselves and seek a greater understanding of the world.
We hope for TASC to be the model for interaction between Taiwanese and Americans. TASC operates on the basic principles of empathy, respect, and responsibility. We listen to each other, learn from each other, and serve each other. It is our hope that American people and Taiwanese people everywhere will one day do the same.
We hope for Taiwanese delegates to gain confidence and see their hidden potential. At TASC, Taiwanese delegates are challenged to discuss complex topics and design projects with American delegates entirely in English. We hope for Taiwanese delegates to know that their experience at TASC is just the beginning. We hope for Taiwanese delegates to become engaged global citizens who actively encourage their peers to challenge themselves and seek a greater understanding of the world.
We hope for TASC to be the model for interaction between Taiwanese and Americans. TASC operates on the basic principles of empathy, respect, and responsibility. We listen to each other, learn from each other, and serve each other. It is our hope that American people and Taiwanese people everywhere will one day do the same.
Who are we looking for?
We are looking for students who:
have a passion for people,
want to be challenged in a new, exciting way,
aren't afraid to get their hands dirty,
know a lot about Taiwan, or
know only a little about Taiwan -- and want desperately to learn more,
know how to listen to others.
are dedicated to intercultural work,
are leaders (proven or untested),
are willing to challenge their beliefs,
want to put their knowledge and skills to the test,
are okay with being uncomfortable, and
dream big.
have a passion for people,
want to be challenged in a new, exciting way,
aren't afraid to get their hands dirty,
know a lot about Taiwan, or
know only a little about Taiwan -- and want desperately to learn more,
know how to listen to others.
are dedicated to intercultural work,
are leaders (proven or untested),
are willing to challenge their beliefs,
want to put their knowledge and skills to the test,
are okay with being uncomfortable, and
dream big.
TASC is not your ordinary student conference.
We share hotel rooms. We take public transportation. Sometimes we wear suits, but usually we're in shorts and T-shirts. We travel -- a lot. We're in it to learn and to grow; to challenge ourselves and to challenge each other. We're in it to change lives.
We share hotel rooms. We take public transportation. Sometimes we wear suits, but usually we're in shorts and T-shirts. We travel -- a lot. We're in it to learn and to grow; to challenge ourselves and to challenge each other. We're in it to change lives.