Comprehensive Studies in Taiwan Literature

Our research runs from Indigenous literature, traditional poetry and prose, and writing under Japanese rule and after the war, through to drama, cinema, and new media. Working across every period, old and new, and giving equal weight to folk literature and authored literature, the Institute’s first task is to bring faculty, students, and visiting scholars together to trace the full arc of Taiwan’s literary development. We value careful archival and textual work as much as close reading and interpretation, and we actively encourage comparative study across borders and research into contemporary multimedia.

I. Collection and Organization of Literary & Historical Materials A rigorous discipline begins with the accumulation of source materials. Taiwan literature is a young field, and both its “oral literature” and its “written literature” need to be collected and organized systematically, drawing on public and private resources alike. The Institute is committed to this work for the long term, holding to strict scholarly standards so that future research rests on solid ground.

II. Training in Literary Theory and Research Methodologies As a graduate institute of literature, we cannot afford to neglect either traditional Chinese aesthetics or contemporary Western literary theory. Studies in traditional poetry and prose must draw on methods from classical Chinese literary research. Work on modern literature has to engage with theory internationally: postmodernism, postcolonial discourse, and feminist criticism have all left deep marks on writing and criticism in Taiwan. Rigorous training in theory and method is what allows our students to develop an outlook that holds up internationally.

III. Comparative Research on Regional Literatures Taiwan is an open island, and its history and culture have always been shaped by what arrived from outside. Our teaching and research pay close attention to Taiwan’s exchanges with neighboring regions in each period of its history. From there we can see how its literature has absorbed, resisted, and reworked cultures and literatures from abroad. Through the lens of comparative literature, we bring the distinctive character of Taiwan literature into view.

IV. Research in Drama, Cinema, and New Media As media continue to change, literature is no longer confined to the written word; it also takes shape in the theater, on screen, and on digital platforms. The Institute treats drama, film, and new media as core research areas, and studies how literary work is translated and adapted from one medium to another. That work covers the New Drama movement under Japanese colonial rule, the development of post-war theater, Taiwan New Cinema, and contemporary visual practice. We also work on internet literature, digital narrative, animation, and subculture. Combining transmedia theory with methods from cultural studies, we help students build both historical perspective and critical skill, so they can make sense of the multiple forms that literature takes in cultural production and circulation today.

Research Areas

Literary theory and research methodologies
Indigenous literature Classical literature Literature under Japanese colonial rule Modern literature Taiwanese drama and theater Gender, literature, and culture Transcultural circulation and regional comparative literature Cinema and visual studies Literary adaptation and multimedia studies ACG (anime, comics, games) and new media studies ACG