Stockholm Taiwan Center

The Stockholm Taiwan Center (STC) is a policy-oriented research center at the Institute for Security and Development Policy (ISDP). The center is dedicated to efforts of contributing to greater knowledge and understanding about Taiwan’s significance and importance in international affairs. Focusing on issues related to international and domestic politics, security issues, economics and culture, the center provides expertise and serves as a platform for knowledge exchange and cooperation in the Nordic countries and Europe.

Conferences & Webinars

The STC organizes the annual “Taiwan-Nordic Forum”, alternating in location between Stockholm and Taipei each year. The event brings together experts, practitioners, and policymakers from Taiwan and the Nordic countries for high-level exchanges around important and topical issues of mutual interest. It aims to advance important discussions and allows for a deepening of Taiwan-Nordic research networks.
In addition to its annual event, the STC organizes online webinars open to the public through its Taiwan Lecture Series. These online webinars provide expertise, analysis and discussion around a range of topics within the center’s scope of interest. The Taiwan Lecture Series is continuously made available for its audience of policymakers and the educated public on social media.
The STC also organizes physical roundtable discussions in Stockholm. These dialogues provide experts, practitioners, and policymakers with an avenue for exchanging ideas and facilitating open and earnest discussions around important issues in a closed setting.

Guest Researcher Program

The STC’s Guest Researcher Program hosts scholars and officials from Taiwan to stay at ISDP in Stockholm in a capacity of ISDP Guest Researchers. During their stay at the institute, guest researchers embark on independent research endeavors culminating in a seminar presentation at the end of their stay. Supported by the institutes’ expertise and extended network, guest researchers engage with other researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to support their individual research interests. This engagement, in turn further expands and deepens mutual understanding and dialogue between Taiwan and Sweden’s research and policy communities.

Research

Taiwan’s Relations with the Nordic Countries and Europe: Taiwan has increasingly solidified its position as a reliable, democratic, and like-minded partner for Europe. However, China opposes this trajectory, claiming Taiwan as part of its territory and is continuously seeking to marginalize Taiwan in the international space. In this context, understanding developments in Taiwan’s relations with Europe and the Nordic countries is increasingly important for policymakers and the educated public. The STC’s output is underpinned by efforts to advance knowledge about Taiwan’s relations with Europe and the Nordic countries through policy-oriented research endeavors.

Developments in Taiwan’s Democracy: Since its democratic transition, Taiwan has emerged as a well-developed and dependable democracy. As a democracy exposed to significant external pressure, understanding Taiwan’s challenges and its democratic developments is of high relevance to policymakers and the educated public. In this regard, the STC’s research endeavors focus on the politics of Taiwan, democratic elections, identity, developments in digital democracy as well as the foreign influence operations Taiwan is facing.

Cross-Strait Relations and Security Issues: Tensions in the Taiwan Strait and complicated Cross-Strait relations remain of crucial significance for the international community. The security of the Taiwan Strait holds implications and potential consequences far beyond the Indo-Pacific region. In this context, approaching the need for a peaceful resolution to the Cross-Strait conflict is increasingly relevant to policymakers and practitioners. To provide decision-makers with imperative knowledge in relating to tensions in the Taiwan Strait, the STC’ focuses on providing policy-relevant research regarding significant developments in Cross-Strait relations in and beyond the Taiwan Strait as well as Cross-Strait security, regional security, military defense, and cyber security.

Taiwan’s Position in International Affairs: Despite its geopolitical significance and pivotal position in the international economy and global value chains, Taiwan has seen a steady decrease in formal diplomatic allies in past decades. In addition, Taiwan is also largely excluded from participating in international organizations. The STC’s research is dedicated to understanding and expounding on Taiwan’s unique position in the international community, shedding light on what this position entails in terms of participation in international organizations, global trade, and international security.

Newsletter

The STC publishes its monthly “Stockholm Taiwan Center Newsletter” as a part of ISDP’s regular newsletters. The newsletter focuses on current developments related to Taiwan and highlights the center’s events and research output as well as its individual researchers. To receive these updates, you can register to ISDP’s mailing list (choose newsletter) here.