Roma Tre University signs deal to open Taiwan studies program

Rome, Oct. 6 (CNA) Roma Tre University on Monday signed an agreement with Taiwan's representative office in Italy to establish a Taiwan studies lectureship, expanding its Sinology research beyond a "China-centered" perspective.

The lectureship is part of a Ministry of Education (MOE) initiative to promote Taiwan-focused research and raise Taiwan's global visibility through partnerships with leading universities.

Taiwan's representative to Italy, Vincent Y.C. Tsai (蔡允中), said the program will deepen bilateral ties and boost academic and culture exchanges.

Tsai and Roma Tre University President Massimiliano Fiorucci signed the agreement at a ceremony attended by faculty members, including Simone Trecca, head of the Department of Foreign Languages, Literatures and Cultures, and project coordinator Rosa Lombardi.

Fiorucci said the partnership reflects the growing importance of academic collaboration between Taiwan and Italy.

Roma Tre has previously worked with Taiwan through education and cultural programs launched in 2012, hosting conferences, Mandarin courses and film festivals centered on Taiwanese culture, he added.

Lombardi said the university has long sought to broaden European understanding of Taiwan, noting that Sinology in Europe has traditionally focused on China.

"This program expands the field to include Taiwan and other Mandarin-speaking regions," she said.

The five-year lectureship will cover topics such as literature, international relations, Taiwan's role in the Indo-Pacific, and its leadership in artificial intelligence, communications technology and economics. Planned activities include seminars, online programs and a digital archive to raise public awareness of Taiwan in Italy, Lombardi said.

Similar programs have also been established at Sapienza University of Rome and the University of Siena as part of Taiwan's push to expand its academic presence in Italy.