Global Governance (GG)

With the provision of transdisciplinary courses, the Globalization, and Democratic Governance (GG) track at the ICI seeks to address some of the critical issues at our times: the rising uncertainties of climate change, political polarization, and socio-economic disparity, and democratic regression. We recognize an urgent need to deepen the understanding of contemporary issues, to develop knowledge and problem-solving abilities of risk aversion. We envisage the GG at the ICI will help students to explore the issues of participation, equality, transparency, and accountability across geographical and cultural contexts.

Building upon this premise, GG covers a broad spectrum of social science approaches and cross-cutting areas. In regards to professional development and training, this special track draws on four major research axes – Science, Technology and Society; Global Environmental Governance; Spaces, Places, and Connections; and Global Civil Society – to develop relevant thematic courses.

We design the GG track to help students to look beyond the short-term, functional purpose of job security. We aim to guide students to envisage how one could prepare oneself with professional ability and critical visions in light of situating in an increasingly contingent, dynamic, and unstable world.

We hope that students will be able to (a) comprehend and appreciate the complexity of our living worlds, which are simultaneously natural, social, and technical in their multiplicity, limitation, and vulnerability; (b) develop the ability to reflect, critique, negotiate, and act; (c) have a vision for inclusive societies and appreciate multiple worldviews and possibilities of problem-solving. In brief, this track seeks to assist students in exploring and developing creative approaches to ‘staying with the trouble’ on their life journeys.

GDG Capstone Projects/ Specialized Research

Anthropocene and Geopolitics

Since 1970, environment evolutions had turned its wave to social sciences that stirs up a troupe of scholars for new theories and methodologies to address the gravitating environment on earth. This course thus discusses the on-going evolvement of our planet by underpinning the monumental concept of “Planetary Turn”. The burgeoning of Anthropocene denotes how the growing population had confounded our planetary environment to an overwhelming degree that had long exceeded its limits. It also suggests that human beings had become the dominating forces propelling geological and planetary changes. Planet-earth has embarked on a new geological epoch full of undefined boundaries between geo-social relations that tender further discoveries. This thus endows missions for researchers in humanities and social sciences fields to seek and explore the geo-political connections, reinterpreting human relations with earth through performance and arts.

From week 10 to week 15, classes will be hold in Taipei Fine Arts Museum (TFAM). ICI is honored to have Prof. Bruno Latour as mentor for course activity, Negotiation Theatre. Prof. Latour and his phenomenal works—Politics of Nature, Facing Gaia, and Down to Earth— prophesize the collapse of modernity and the fact that our world is facing the dire ecological crisis. Following the successful bi-annual exhibition, Post-Nature: Museum as an Exhibition in 2018, the TFAM invites Prof. Bruno Latour and the distinguished curator, Martin Guinard-Terrin, for the upcoming exhibition in 2020. The 2020 bi-annual exhibition will be in close collaboration with local Taiwanese scholars for a series of public programs. One of the Open Exhibitions scheduled to be exhibited from November to April 2021 is the concerted efforts of ICI with other universities specialized in STS research (Science, Technology and Society). Students enrolled in this class will need to participate and take on roles as observers for the environmental issues, act out their opinions on stage for Negotiation Theatre, and debate on problems such as the dispose of nuclear wastes, and climate changes.

Global Health Governance

With fast-pacing development on world-trade, international transportation, immigration, and industrial revolution, the recurring health issues (e.g. contagious disease, non-contagious disease, career hazards…etc.) beckons governors to break out the norms traditionally dissecting into regions and countries and seeks to inspect the gaps in the international system for managing complex issues and to engage stakeholders on practical steps for solutions that meets current trends. This course pays particular attention to build up students’ critical, analytic and problem-solving skills so that students can apply comprehensive strategies to assess the resolutions of government policy.

Besides its academic rigor, this course features arrays of speakers exemplary in cross-disciplinary researches for seminars and lectures. From week 15 to week 16, WHO simulation exercises will be hold for students to put knowledge into practice through real-time scenarios. By playing roles as delegates from different countries, students will need to implement and integrate theories learnt from classes for solutions, developing attributes of agility and adaptability most valued for leaders in a globalized world.

Migration and Globalization

Why and how does migration and mobility become a global issue? What are the struggles that migrants in different societies are facing? How do migrants cope with the difficulties? Through the ethnographies of immigration in Asia, Europe, and America, students will learn the world issues of migration and mobility. This course works in tandem with “New Immigrants Entrepreneurship and Education” University Social Responsibility (USR) project. Migrant workers and new immigrants will be guest speakers in class. Students enrolled in the course will visit the community of immigrants in Taiwan and engage in the local issue through social practices.

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