Annual Oxford Taiwan Studies Conference 2026 | Taiwan and Its Neighbours: Indo-Pacific States in a Changing World Order

Thursday, 14 May 2026, 10am to 5.30pm

The Annual Oxford Taiwan Studies Conference 2026, hosted by the Oxford Taiwan Studies Programme, explores the theme “Taiwan and Its Neighbours: Indo-Pacific States in a Changing World Order.” As geopolitical competition intensifies and the regional balance of power continues to evolve, Taiwan’s position has become increasingly central to debates on economic security, technological transformation, and strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific.

Bringing together leading scholars and policy experts, the conference situates Taiwan within its wider regional context by examining how neighbouring states—including Japan, South Korea, India, Vietnam, and New Zealand—respond to shifting strategic dynamics. The panels address US–China competition, Northeast Asian security and political economy, and the role of other Indo-Pacific actors in navigating uncertainty and recalibrating their external relations. By foregrounding regional perspectives, the conference aims to deepen understanding of how Taiwan and its neighbours are responding to these changes, and to shed light on emerging patterns of cooperation, competition, and alignment across the Indo-Pacific.

Programme

(Names listed in order of presentation)

10:00–10:30 Registration and Coffee

10:30–10:40 Welcome Remarks

• Bo-jiun Jing (Senior Research Fellow and Programme Manager, Oxford School of Global and Area Studies [OSGA], University of Oxford)

• Cheu-an Andy Bi (Director, Education Division, Taipei Representative Office in the UK)

10:40–12:10 [Panel One] US–China Competition and Taiwan in the Indo-Pacific

Chair: Rosemary Foot (Emeritus Professor and Senior Research Fellow, Department of Politics and International Relations [DPIR], University of Oxford)

Panellists:

• Michael Cox (Emeritus Professor, Department of International Relations, The London School of Economics and Political Science [LSE])

• Chung-min Tsai (Professor, Department of Political Science, National Chengchi University; President, Taiwanese Political Science Association)

• Chun-yi Lee (Associate Professor, School of Politics and International Relations; Director, Taiwan Research Hub, University of Nottingham)

12:10–13:50 Lunch Break

13:50–15:20 [Panel Two] Northeast Asia Theatre: Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea

Chair: Todd Hall (Director, University of Oxford China Centre and Professor of International Relations, DPIR, University of Oxford)

Panellists:

• Wrenn Yennie Lindgren (Senior Research Fellow and Head, Center for Asian Research, Norwegian Institute of International Affairs [NUPI])

• Yeh-chung Lu (Dean, College of International Affairs and Professor, Department of Diplomacy, National Chengchi University; Vice President, Taiwan Foundation for Democracy)

• Sohyun Zoe Lee (Lecturer, School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics, Queen’s University Belfast)

15:20–15:50 Coffee Break

15:50–17:20 [Panel Three] Other Indo-Pacific States: India, Vietnam, and New Zealand

Chair: Bo-jiun Jing (Senior Research Fellow and Programme Manager, Oxford Taiwan Studies Programme, OSGA, University of Oxford)

Panellists:

• Jagannath Panda (Head, Stockholm Center for South Asian and Indo-Pacific Affairs and Executive Editor, Institute for Security and Development Policy [ISDP])

• Robyn Klingler-Vidra (Vice Dean of Global Engagement and Reader in Political Economy and Entrepreneurship, King’s Business School, King’s College London)

• Alex Tan (Associate Dean for Research, Faculty of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences and Professor of Political Science, University of Canterbury)

17:20–17:30 Closing Remarks

• Rachel Murphy (Professor of Chinese Development and Society, OSGA, University of Oxford)

Speaker(s): Diego Sánchez-Ancochea (University of Oxford), Rosemary Foot (University of Oxford), Michael Cox (LSE), Chung-min Tsai (National Chengchi University), Chun-yi Lee (University of Nottingham), Todd Hall (University of Oxford), Wrenn Yennie Lindgren (Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI)), Yeh-chung Lu (National Chengchi University), Sohyun Zoe Lee (Queen's University Belfast), Bo-jiun Jing (University of Oxford), Jagannath Panda (Institute for Security and Development Policy (ISDP)), Robyn Klingler-Vidra (King's College London), Alex Tan (University of Canterbury), Rachel Murphy (University of Oxford), Cheu-an Andy Bi (Taipei Representative Office in the UK)

Series: Annual Oxford Taiwan Studies Conference

Venue: Nissan Institute of Japanese Studies - Lecture Theatre - St Antony's College 27 Winchester Road Oxford Oxfordshire OX2 6NA United Kingdom

Department: Oxford School of Global and Area Studies (Department)

Organiser: Dr Bo-jiun Jing

Host: Dr Bo-jiun Jing

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/annual-oxford-taiwan-studies-conference-2026-tickets-1988790686480