Introduction

1) Preface

Taiwanese Political Science Association (TPSA) is officially established on December 17th 1994, with the history of mere twenty something years. As a specialized academic association, TPSA is relatively young. And as a mature intellectual community, TPSA looks forward to progress and improvement. Nevertheless, during the short two decades, TPSA undergoes from pioneering stage to developing stage, blooms and thrives gradually. And now, TPSA becomes one of the utmost intellectual communities in Taiwanese political academia. With the accumulation of diligence and hard efforts, the achievements are joyful. Countless scholars and students devote and contribute to TPSA, and eventually attain what we have today. The brief introduction of the history, the presence and the vision of TPSA is as following:

2) History

Pioneering Stage and Early Days

In Fall 1993, with the expectation and prospect for the political academia in Taiwan, four scholars: Nai-teh, Wu（吳乃德）, Ying-long, You（游盈隆）, Huo-yan, Shyu（徐火炎）and Ming-tung, Chen（陳明通）started to plan forming TPSA in Academia Sinica. After almost a year of intensive discussions and arrangements, at the end of 1994, Taiwanese Political Science Association was founded. Previously, departments and institutes of political science have been existing in Taiwan for more than four decades; moreover, plenty of scholars lectured political science in universities. Nevertheless, it seemed that the intellectual community of political science had not yet formed. The establishment of TPSA and the publication of the Taiwanese Political Science Review (TPSR) aimed at promoting the formation of the intellectual community. Certainly, the appearance of a mature intellectual community may undergo several generations. And the founding of TPSA was merely a start.

The very first term of TPSA started from 1994 to 1996. The first president of TPSA is Nai-teh, Wu（吳乃德）; Secretary General is Ming-tung, Chen（陳明通）; Chief Financial Officer is Huo-yan, Shyu（徐火炎）, and the Chief Editor of TPSR is Ying-long, You（游盈隆）. The Executive Committee members included Fu, Hu（胡佛）, Chin-nung, Chuang（莊錦農）, Huo-yan, Shyu（徐火炎）,Shao-ting, Chen（陳少廷）, Yi-shen, Chen（陳儀深）, Ming-tung, Chen（陳明通）, Ying-long, You（游盈隆）and Mab, Huang（黃默）. Although the function of TPSA was not yet fully on track during the pioneering stage; however, with the devotion and contribution of those mentioned above, the foundation of TPSA was perfectly laid out.

The second term of TPSA was from 1996 to 1998, the president was Ying-long,You（游盈隆）; Secretary General was Chih-cheng, Lo（羅致政）; Chief Financial Officer was Ming-tung, Chen（陳明通）; and the Chief Editor of TPSR was Nai-the, Wu（吳乃德）. The Executive Committee members included Ming-tung, Chen（陳明通）, Mab, Huang（黃默）, Shiow-duan, Huang（黃秀端）, Mau-kuei, Chang（張茂桂）, Nai-teh, Wu（吳乃德）, Huo-yan, Shyu（徐火炎）, Carl K. Y. Shaw（蕭高彥）and Jih-wen, Lin（林繼文）. During this period of time, TPSA attempted to strengthen the dialogue and communication between academic research and the society. Many forums on present social issues were held for further academic discussions. In addition, many goals were set up. The instances are as following. The publication of TPSR was arranged as biquarterly. Various academic committees were established, which aimed at the promotion of teaching and research in political science. The website and news workshops were established. The dissertation awards were set up for encouraging young students to study further. The newsletter of TPSA was published. And the graduate thesis presentation conferences were held. Despite the grand ambition, Most of the plans were not implemented or only for a short period of time before ceased, which resulted from the shortage of personnel staffs and lack of funding. In Jun. 1997, Ying-long, You（游盈隆）accepted the request from DPP (Democratic Progressive Party) and ran for the chief of Hualien County. Avoiding affecting TPSA, he resigned and the Executive Committee decided Mab, Huang（黃默）to act for the presidency until the next election.

The third term started from 1998 to 2000, the president was Shiow-duan, Hawang（黃秀端）; the Secretary General was Jih-wen, Lin（林繼文）; the Chief Financial Officer was Yun-han, Chu（朱雲漢）; and the Chief Editor of TPSR was Hsiao-shih, Cheng（鄭曉時）. The Executive Committee members included Fu, Hu（胡佛）, Mab, Huang（黃默）,Da-chi, Liao（廖達琪）, I-Chou, Liu（劉義周）, Nai-teh, Wu（吳乃德）, Ming-tung, Chen（陳明通）, Chih-cheng, Lo（羅致政）and Jih-wen, Lin（林繼文）. During this period of time, TPSA actively advanced plenty of affairs, including updating website information and providing information of employment opportunities, the web addresses of relevant departments and institutes, and Internet resources in political science. In addition, in order to strengthen the academic training for graduate students, the very first National Graduate Thesis Presentation on Political Science was held in May 1999, providing graduate students in political science with a perfect forum for presentation of their thesis; moreover, with participation and observation, students learned from one another and polished their writing skills. It is worth mentioning that, to prosper the development of the Academia of Political Science in Taiwan, Jih-wen, Lin（林繼文）, as then Secretary General, invited many experts and scholars to join, and tried to register at the Ministry of the Interior as an official organization. The contribution was massive.

 Flourishing Stage/Days

The fourth term started from 2000 to 2002. In Sep. 2000, TPSA officially registered as a civil association with the acknowledgement from Ministry of the Interior, and it turned to a new page of TPSA. The first president of TPSA after the organization shifted was I-chou, Liu（劉義周）; Secretary General was David W. F., Huang（黃偉峰）; the Chief Financial Officier was Li-kang, Chen（陳立剛）; the Chief Editor of TPSR was Yung-tai, Hung（洪永泰）. The Directors included: Nai-teh, Wu（吳乃德）, Chic-chung, Wu（吳志中）, Chung-li, Wu（吳重禮）, Jih-wen, Lin（林繼文）, Yung-ming, Hsu（徐永明）, Yih-yan, Chen（陳義彥）, Shiow-duan, Huang（黃秀端）, Chang-ling, Huang（黃長玲）and Da-chi, Liao（廖達琪）, and the Supervisors included: Chao-hsieh, Wu（吳釗燮）, Fu, Hu（胡佛）and Huo-yan, Shyu（徐火炎）. During this period of time, TPSA grew and prospered enormously; members increased, and the annual conferences became more and more diverse and vigorous, which contributed renowned prestige to TPSA. For instance, there were in total 32 papers presented at the TPSA annual meeting and conference on “Taiwan Politics after the Party Alternation” in 2001, and Professor Stefano Bartolini was invited to give the keynote speech. The feedback and praise were massive.

TPSA annual meeting and academic conference on “Globalization and Taiwan Politics” in 2002 became even greater with 79 papers presented. At the Conference, Professor Yu-shan, Wu（吳玉山）was invited to give the keynote speech with the title “Academic Performance and Evaluation ”, and Professor Jan-Erik Lane was also invited to participate in the Roundtable Forum on “Globalization and Global Governance”. Undoubtedly, President I-chou, Liu（劉義周）has opened up a bright and prosperous future for TPSA.

The second term of TPSA started from 2002 to 2004. The president was Chi, Huang（黃紀）; Secretary General was Chung-li, Wu（吳重禮）; the Chief Financial Officier was Yeh-lih, Wang（王業立）; the Chief Editor of TPSR was Ching-ping, Tang（湯京平）. The Directors included: Chih-chung, Wu（吳志中）, Jun-chen, Ji（紀俊臣）, Wen-chun, Chen（陳文俊）, Li-kang, Chen（陳立剛）, Yih-yan, Chen（陳義彥）, Shiow-duan, Huang（黃秀端）, David W. F., Huang（黃偉峰）, Da-chi, Liao（廖達琪）and I-Chou, Liu（劉義周）, and the Supervisors included: Nai-teh, Wu（吳乃德）, Jih-wen, Lin（林繼文）and Chih-cheng, Lo（羅致政）.

During this period of time, many reforms were implemented in order to perfect the functions of TPSA, which won praise among the academic community. For instance, the arrangement of annual meeting/academic conference and the compilation of TPSR followed the principles of righteousness, fairness and transparency for selecting the hosting organization. Secondly, Taiwanese Political Science Review was rearranged as a semi-annual publication. Moreover, the website of TPSA was re-set up as a perfect platform for communication and interaction in the academia. In addition, to help with academic publications of our fellow members among political academia, TPSA, together with the Chinese Association of Political Science, formed the Joint Review Committee of the Academic Publication in Political Science, which provided professional academic review with credibility. The goal was to tally with the standards of evaluation, endowment and award by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Progressing Period/Days

To specialize TPSA, many “study groups” were established as subfields in 2005, which provided a platform for members to exchange teaching and researching experience and some other information in each subfields, in order to reach the goals of specialization and variety in research. Besides “ the master/doctoral dissertation award”, “ the dissertation award of methodology” and “ the dissertation award of annual meeting and academic conference”, there were two other awards, namely “ the dissertation award of political philosophy” and “ the dissertation award of electoral behavior”, were set up.

The president of the seventh term of TPSA (2013-2014) was Yeh-lih, Wang（王業立）, Secretary General was Yu-tzung, Chang（張佑宗）; the Chief Financial Officier was Hong-wung, Wang（王宏文）; the Chief Editor of TPSR was Ching-ping, Tang（湯京平）, and the Executive Editor was Chung-min, Tsai（蔡中民）. During the seventh term, the website was revised for the sake of smooth communication. A mid-year conference was held annually to prompt academic communication. In 2014, in accordance with the resolution of the council of directors and supervisors, except for “the annual dissertation award”, “the dissertation award of annual meeting and academic conference” was rearranged and divided into four categories, as following: “the dissertation award of methodology”, “the dissertation award of political theory”, “the dissertation award of public administration”, “the dissertation award of international relations”. The annual meeting/academic conference of 2013 was held by the Institute of Political Science, National Sun Yet-sen University, in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. And the annual meeting/academic conference of following year took place in National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, with in total 160 or so papers presented, which was by far the largest academic conference ever.

Now, it proceeds to the eighth term of TPSA, starts from 2015 to 2016. The president is Chung-li, Wu（吳重禮）, a research fellow at the Institute of Political Science, Academia Sinica; the Secretary General is Chung-min, Tsai（蔡中民）, an associate professor at the Department of Political Science in National Chengchi University; the Chief Financial Officier is Hang-tsung, Yen（閻亢宗）, an assistant professor at the Center for General Education in the University of Kang Ning; and the Chief Editor of TPSR is Chien-wen, Kou（寇健文）, a professor at the Department of Political Science in National Chengchi University. The annual meeting/academic conference is held in Kinmen for the very first time. With the assistance from the Department of International and Mainland China Affairs in National Quemoy University, TPSA turns to a new page in history.

Visions and Prospects of TPSA

TPSA undergoes various stages along its development. Looking upon the future, the Association will continue specializing it’s the arrangement of organizations, which provide the members with an adequate platform for teaching, researching and exchanging information, and eventually reaches the goals of specialization and variety in research. In addition, moving towards globalization and internationalization is nowadays a trend. In order to broaden the scope and scale of research, it is necessary to interact with political communities around the world and learn from them. TPSA is heading for the world and begins to communicate with foreign political academia. With the incentives from abroad, the political reflections in Taiwan can extend; and the research achievements in Taiwan can also be presented for all to examine.

As above, TPSA upholds the determination to internationalize and to communicate with foreign political academia. In 2008, TPSA signs a memorandum with Japanese Political Science Association (JPSA), which allows mutual personnel participation in annual academic conferences. TPSA sends staffs and participates in JPSA academic conferences annually, and the interaction and communication between the two associations create discussions among political academia and present fruitful achievements of communication.

In 2012, TPSA signs a memorandum with Korean Political Science Association (KPSA), which allows mutual personnel participation in annual academic conferences. TPSA sends staffs and participates in KPSA academic conference, which is the very first communication. In December 2012, KPSA also sends staffs and participates in the annual meeting of TPSA.

In September 2013, TPSA sends staffs and participates in the academic conference of JPSA, in which Taiwanese scholars present two English papers, while Japanese scholars serve as discussants, and English is used for the whole course. In this year, JPSA also sends staffs and participates in the academic conference of TPSA and presents three papers in English. For five years, the accomplishments of academic communication between the two associations are pleasantly surprising.

In August and October 2015, TPSA sends staffs to Gyeongju, South Korea and to Chiba, Japan and participates in the academic conferences of both associations respectively. Our fellow members: Chung-li, Wu（吳重禮）, Chung-min, Tsai（蔡中民）, Hang-tsung, Yen（閻亢宗）, S. Philip, Hsu（徐斯勤）, Hung-chang, Kuan（關弘昌）and You-sun, Chung（鄭有善）present in total five papers in the academic conference of KPSA. Wan-ying, Yang（楊婉瑩）, Professor at the Department of Political Science in National Chengchi University and Chia-hung, Tsai（蔡佳泓）, Research Fellow at Election Study Center in National Chengchi University present papers at the academic conference of JPSA in Chiba, Japan.

Reference

Huang, Chi, Chung-li, Wu. 2004. “The Review and Prospect of Taiwanese Political Science Association”, Humanities and Social Sciences Newsletter Quarterly, 6(1): 75-78.