【National Development Research Institute News】

The National Development Research Institute of the College of Social Sciences and the International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF) co-hosted the "Development Assistance and International Development Lecture Series." The first lecture was held on October 19, delivered by TaiwanICDF Secretary-General, Xiang Tianyi, who has previously served as the representative to Kuwait and the ambassador to Nauru. The topic of the lecture was "An Overview of International and Taiwan’s External Development Assistance."

Xiang Tianyi explained that since the establishment of TaiwanICDF in 1996, after the closure of the Overseas Cooperation and Development Council (OCCDC) and the Overseas Cooperation and Development Office (OCDA), Taiwan has continuously refined and adjusted its assistance strategies. For example, agricultural projects, which initially focused on teaching friendly countries to grow crops and emphasize production, now focus more on food security, adding value, and building farmers' resilience.

For instance, the Guatemala Coffee Project created the "Three Volcanoes" brand, benefiting more than 70 small farmer organizations and over 8,000 households, rapidly increasing prices in a short time. Public health projects have shifted from early years of free clinics and single treatments to improving public health systems. For example, the maternal and infant health project in Eswatini has successfully increased post-natal checkups and reduced infant mortality in the first phase, benefiting the capital. At the invitation of the Eswatini government, the second phase has expanded to nationwide healthcare institutions.

Xiang Tianyi noted that TaiwanICDF follows three major international aid trends and principles: results management, aid effectiveness, and sustainable development goals (SDGs). It continues to implement various development assistance programs that benefit the citizens of the recipient countries. Recently, gender equality and environmental sustainability were added to the TaiwanICDF's 2030 strategy, meaning that even if many programs are not focused on these two aspects, they will be cross-checked for gender and environmental impacts. Due to Taiwan's unique international situation, TaiwanICDF also collaborates with various international NGOs to raise Taiwan’s visibility, presenting Taiwan's contributions through financial expenditure verifications under the UN Department of Humanitarian Affairs. Faced with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, TaiwanICDF has actively launched TaiwanICDF School to provide online training for those who could not come to Taiwan for training.

The lecture was rich and engaging, with an active Q&A session and lively exchanges between students and faculty. One student asked about the differences in the functions of TaiwanICDF and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in aid, to which Xiang Tianyi explained that MOFA’s aid focuses on short-term emergency relief or donations of physical goods, while TaiwanICDF’s aid follows a complete project cycle (which will be elaborated on in the November 2 lecture by Deputy Secretary-General Shi Lijun). TaiwanICDF’s aid is based on the needs of the recipient country, providing medium- to long-term aid over several years.

Another student asked how TaiwanICDF responds to potential criticism that Taiwan should focus on aiding its own disadvantaged groups. Xiang Tianyi responded that different government departments have different missions. Under the overall budget planning, there is aid for both domestic and international needs. TaiwanICDF focuses on external aid. The UN recommends that official development assistance (ODA) should account for 0.7% of the donor country’s Gross National Income (GNI). The global average in 2019 was 0.3%, while Taiwan currently contributes only 0.051%, indicating room for improvement.

Director Wei Meijuan of the National Development Institute mentioned that the institute signed a cooperation and exchange agreement with TaiwanICDF in May 2019, witnessed by President Guo Mingzheng and Dean Jiang Mingxiu of the College of Social Sciences. The aim is to jointly cultivate future talent for Taiwan’s international development and development assistance. In addition to jointly planning courses and organizing lecture series on development assistance and international development issues, TaiwanICDF also provides opportunities for National Development students to visit the organization and participate in summer internships. Several students have already interned at TaiwanICDF, and some graduates have passed the public selection process and are now working at TaiwanICDF.

Wei Meijuan also mentioned that the institute is actively promoting a policy of creating student sources, planning a development research credit program for undergraduate students. The course content will include politics, economics, society, sustainable development, and will introduce a new "International Development and Development Assistance" course in cooperation with TaiwanICDF. The application period for next semester is from December 1 to December 31, aiming to attract undergraduate students interested in development studies.

The National Development Institute's office stated that the lecture series co-organized with TaiwanICDF will continue for the next four weeks, starting every Monday at 9 AM, with Deputy Secretary-Generals Li Baibo and Shi Lijun, along with department heads, sharing their experiences and methods in international aid practical work. Everyone is encouraged to register and participate.

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Original Source: NCCU Campus News