Taiwan Studies Center in Siena: a new hub for culture, history and

Taiwan Studies Center in Siena: a new hub for culture, history and languages

The Taiwan Studies Center has opened in Siena with the aim of deepening knowledge of Taiwan's history, culture and languages and building connections between the Tuscan city and the island. It is the second center of its kind in Italy, after Roma Tre University.

Leadership and mission

• The Center is led by professors Andrea Francioni and Matteo Gerlini and by Professor Chiachi Wu.
• It combines academic research — particularly in international history — with public outreach and educational activities.
• Key objectives include promoting Taiwan's diverse linguistic landscape, highlighting its cultural production and encouraging academic exchange.

Programs and events

• Planned activities include language courses (including local languages), series on Taiwanese literature and cinema, and thematic seminars.
• An early initiative was the webinar "A chip Odyssey," focused on the semiconductor industry, an area where Taiwan is a global leader.
• The Center aims to serve both students and the wider public with educational and cultural offerings.

According to its directors, the project is conceived with a long-term outlook: to present Siena with a distinctive Asian reality that deserves wider recognition today and to help students and citizens better understand cultural and scientific ties between Europe and Asia.