The International Master's Program in Inter-Asia Cultural Studies (IACS-UST) positions "Inter-Asia" as a primary frame of reference for re-examining world history and global cultures. Based on Taiwan's unique geopolitical position and historical experience, the program connects with the socio-cultural experiences and academic resources of regions such as Northeast, Southeast, and South Asia. By focusing on interdisciplinary and trans-regional critical cultural studies, we aim to cultivate a proactive and open intellectual perspective that will help shape the direction of 21st-century international academia. The schools currently participating in the IACS program include National Central University, National Chengchi University, National Tsing Hua University, and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University. Leveraging the concentrated research strengths of the cultural studies teams across these four universities, the program's curriculum is structured around four main research clusters: "Critical Theory and Asian Modernity," "Contemporary Thought and Social Movements," "Sexuality/Gender Studies," and "Visual Culture," exploring the significance of Inter-Asian cultures in a global context. The program is designed not only to equip students with a keen grasp of the current socio-political conditions and historical-cultural backgrounds of Inter-Asian societies—enabling them to meet the high academic standards of contemporary knowledge production and enhance regional competitiveness with innovative contributions—but also to nurture future leaders in academia and culture. We seek to accumulate a body of outstanding master's and doctoral research, expand our international exchange networks, and extend our academic reach, thereby substantially strengthening the existing research achievements of the four universities in the humanities and social sciences.

| Program Background
When the University System of Taiwan (UST) began its trial run in 2003, National Chiao Tung University (now the Chiao Tung campus of National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University) established the UST Inter-University Program Office for Cultural Studies to promote cross-campus collaboration. In 2004, National Central University and National Tsing Hua University also established their program offices. National Yang-Ming University (now the Yang Ming campus of National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University) joined the team in 2009.

Following the formal establishment of the UST in 2008, the preparatory office for the International Center for Cultural Studies (IICS-UST) began operations in 2010, advancing the planning for both the IICS and the International Program in Inter-Asia Cultural Studies (IACS). The IICS-UST was officially founded and registered with the Ministry of Education (MOE) in 2012. The International Master's Program in Inter-Asia Cultural Studies (IACS-UST) was also approved by the MOE in 2012 and began admitting its first cohort of students in 2013.

In 2021, National Chiao Tung University and National Yang-Ming University merged to become National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University. In September of the same year, National Chengchi University also formally joined our cultural studies team.

| Program Mission
This program uses Inter-Asia as a primary axis for re-interpreting world history and global cultures. Grounded in Taiwan's unique geopolitical position and historical experience, it connects with the socio-cultural experiences and academic resources of regions such as Hong Kong, mainland China, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, India, and Australia. The program's design aims not only to foster top-tier research talent and accumulate a body of high-quality master's and doctoral theses, but also to expand our international exchange networks and academic reach, thereby substantially strengthening the existing humanities and social sciences research at the four universities. By emphasizing interdisciplinary cultural studies and Inter-Asian perspectives, the program will cultivate a proactive and open intellectual vision, shaping the trajectory of international academia in the 21st century.

| Direction and Vision
Using "Inter-Asia Cultural Studies" as a bridge connecting and transcending disciplines and universities, this program is the first successful model in Taiwan to break through the existing university framework, signifying its leading role in academic development. Within Asian and global academic circles, this inter-university system possesses a unique character and substantial research capacity. It not only enriches the teaching and research resources in the humanities and social sciences across the four universities but also enhances their distinctive interdisciplinary strengths. Our team is committed to research-led teaching, with international and local students from all four universities taking courses together. Through various concrete international cooperation projects, we actively expand our global network, provide students with channels for international exchange, and foster a global learning environment to cultivate top-tier academic and leadership talent. The synergistic effects of this academic cluster and inter-university collaboration have multiplied the academic strength and productivity of each member university. With over eighty faculty members and more than one hundred master's students currently participating, and an established international reputation across Asia, the addition of National Chengchi University will further solidify the collaborative framework in the humanities and social sciences. Building on this foundation, the program aspires to establish an International PhD Program in Inter-Asia Cultural Studies to attract outstanding students from across Asia and cultivate more talent with a cross-disciplinary vision of the history, culture, politics, and economy of East, Southeast, and South Asia, thereby generating impactful academic achievements.

| Educational Objectives
To cultivate in students a sharp understanding of the current socio-political conditions and historical-cultural backgrounds of Inter-Asian societies. To equip them with cutting-edge, interdisciplinary knowledge in the international humanities and social sciences, along with a broad perspective that balances local cultures with global contexts. Through the program's meticulously designed curriculum, students will master the foundational training of a traditional discipline while integrating it with interdisciplinary skills. This will enable them to meet the high academic standards of contemporary knowledge production, enhance their regional competitiveness, and make innovative and significant contributions. Graduates of this program will be well-prepared to enter the international academic arena as leading, forward-thinking, and outstanding interdisciplinary scholars.

| Program Administration
The program operates as a collaboration among the four UST universities. An inter-university Program Committee, composed of a Program Director and a campus coordinator from each university, is responsible for defining the program's educational direction, designing the curriculum, and establishing administrative procedures. The International Center for Cultural Studies, UST, serves as a coordinating platform for the cultural studies teams across the four universities. Its Administrative Council is composed of the Center's Director and the head of each campus office. Additionally, an Academic Development Committee and a Program Committee, both comprising faculty representatives from the member universities, convene regular meetings. Responsibilities, such as admissions, are rotated among the universities. Together, they promote inter-campus academic collaboration, jointly invite international visiting professors, organize international academic conferences, and engage in collaborative publishing projects.

| Curriculum Planning
"Introduction to Inter-Asia Cultural Studies" is a required course for all international and local students across the four universities. In addition, each university offers core and elective courses within clusters such as "Critical Theory and Asian Modernity," "Contemporary Thought and Social Movements," "Sexuality/Gender Studies," "Media and Cultural Governance," and "Visual Culture," highlighting the unique expertise of their faculty. On average, 85 to 90 integrated cross-campus courses are offered each academic year, with 25 to 30 of these being taught in both Chinese and English (approximately 35% of the total). Furthermore, international scholars are frequently invited by the International Center for Cultural Studies for visiting professorships or short-term lectures.

The system leverages the key research strengths of the four universities, using the re-examination of world history and global cultures as a central reference point. It features five major research clusters: "Critical Theory and Asian Modernity," "Contemporary Thought and Social Movements," "Visual Culture," "Media and Cultural Governance," and "Sexuality/Gender Studies." Students are free to select courses across campuses and clusters. This institutionalized inter-university and interdisciplinary structure is a rare innovation, not only in Taiwan but also in Asia, Europe, and America.

The research content of these five clusters represents a form of local knowledge production developed through grappling with Taiwan's social transformations. They possess not only unique Taiwanese characteristics but also new intellectual substance from an Inter-Asia perspective. The features of each cluster are as follows: 

一、"Critical Theory and Asian Modernity" focuses on the knowledge construction involved in the modern history of Asia. It provides theoretical and contextual perspectives on trans-regional cultural issues, including nationalism, colonial societies and postcolonial theory, subjectivation, biopolitics, language and identity, historical writing, state political violence, and globalization and migrant labor.

二、"Contemporary Thought and Social Movements" centers on major contemporary intellectual trends. By connecting these trends with local cultural resources, social realities, and historical experiences in the Inter-Asia region, this cluster explores how to activate a multi-layered dialectic between "reality" and "thought," and how social movements can be a means to practice and refine these ideas. The curriculum is organized around three main themes: "East Asian Civil Society," "East Asian Ecology," and "Memories, Experiences, and Prospects of World War II."

三、"Visual Culture" integrates methodologies from art history and film studies. From the perspective of cultural exchange and globalization, it investigates the formal aesthetics, historical significance, and social practices of visual cultures in Taiwan, Northeast Asia, and the broader Asian context.

四、"Sexuality/Gender Studies" seeks to rethink how gender, sexuality, and other social elements interact and shift within the context of globalization, particularly how they become vehicles for social discipline and exclusion in the process of civilization/modernization. This cluster designs its curriculum around locally distinctive "Sexuality/Gender Studies," focusing on the interconnected politics of sexuality/gender at local, regional, and global levels. With a focus on knowledge/power, it emphasizes both subjective agency, grassroots social movements, and historical dimensions, as well as the structural aspects of legal, political, and social institutions.

五、"Media and Cultural Governance" This cluster is built on a transnational, cross-campus, inter-collegiate, and interdisciplinary foundation. Its core philosophy is derived from the European Union's concept of "Media and Cultural Governance," which integrates cultural policy and cultural economy. Its goals are to establish cultural diversity, promote cultural policy, foster cultural creativity, and effectively utilize cultural intellectual property.

The five clusters above are designed based on the current intellectual needs and developmental trends of international academia. Each possesses leading academic strengths and contributes to the development of local knowledge that can engage in a meaningful dialogue with the West.