Yale Law School Students Take Study-Trip to Taiwan

Susan Thornton, Robert Williams, Karman Lucero and Concetta Fusco — Fellows and staff of the Paul Tsai China Center — led a group of nine Yale Law School students on a study-trip to Taiwan over spring break in March. The group held meetings with university, government, media, business, and civil society representatives during the week-long visit. Students examined issues relating to cross-Strait tensions and diplomacy, defense preparedness and resilience, semiconductor manufacturing, artificial intelligence, and societal identity issues. 

The Yale students — who brought substantial foreign policy and cross-Strait experience to the trip — expressed a commitment to deepening their work on Taiwan-related issues, according to the organizers. The students undertook related writing projects upon return, reflecting a variety of insights. These included concerns about a perceived lack of societal consensus in Taiwan regarding specific aspects of its geopolitical future and relevant priorities. All were impressed, however, with the vibrancy of Taiwan's democracy, the talented entrepreneurs they encountered, and the general determination to preserve Taiwan's advantages and way of life.