Seventy Years Forward: Liberal Learning for a Changing World
June 25, 2026 · Tunghai University, Taichung
The full conference program is now available here.
As Tunghai University approaches its seventieth anniversary, the International College invites scholars who teach and conduct research in English to share work that reflects the breadth and diversity of academic inquiry within English-medium higher education. We place particular emphasis on scholars teaching in non-English-dominant contexts, such as international colleges, where English functions as a shared academic language across linguistic, cultural, and disciplinary boundaries.
International colleges occupy a distinctive position within higher education: multilingual in practice, globally oriented in outlook, and committed to both academic breadth and professional preparation. These environments raise important questions about how liberal learning is pursued and communicated in such contexts. ICIC 2026 provides a forum for exploring these questions indirectly, through the presentation of diverse research and teaching-related work across disciplines.
In this spirit, ICIC 2026 welcomes submissions from all academic fields. Submissions need not address the conference theme directly; rather, the conference highlights how the full range of scholarly work conducted in English-medium, internationally oriented settings contributes to liberal learning in an increasingly interconnected world.
Participants
Keynote Speaker
- Chi-Hung Juan Chair Professor and Executive Vice President, National Central University
Invited Speakers
- Marc Lanteigne Professor of Political Science, Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
- Makito Yurita Professor, National Institute for School Teachers and Staff Development, Japan
- Jessica Sze Yin Ho Associate Professor, Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University, Malaysia
- Michael Mikulewicz Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental Studies, State University of New York ESF, USA
Speaker Schedule
Iljoon Park
Wongkwang University
“General Education for Nonhumans: From an Extended Viewpoint of Humankind”
Lucas Scripter
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
“Animal Grief and Meaning in Human and Other Animal Lives”
Michael Mikulewicz
State University of New York ESF
“NOT At All Costs: Climate Justice, Democracy, and the Promise of Liberal Education”
Jessica Sze Yin Ho
Heriot-Watt University
“From Learning to Impact: Connecting Teaching, Research, and Real-World Relevance”
Julien Paret
Alliance University
“Learning to Flow: Liberal Arts Education and the Formation of Adaptive Strategists in a World in Motion”
Marc Lanteigne
Arctic University of Norway
“Critical Theory and Political Science: ‘Radical’ Views from the Arctic”
Svitlana Kosolapova
Tzu Chi University
“Reading War Across Contexts: Feminist Film Analysis and Global Visual Literacy in Ukrainian Cinema”
Aining Hsieh
National Chi Nan University
“Trend Changes in Southeast Asian-Themed Content on Public Television Service (2001–2024)”
Makiko Yurita
National Institute for School Teachers and Staff Development
“Beyond Instrumental Utility: Reframing Empowerment through the Mode of Being in Liberal Arts and Bilingual Education”
Krystie Wills
American University of Sharjah
“Building ESL Students’ Presentation Skills While Leveraging GAI and PB”
Imed Nsiri
American University of Sharjah
“Arab Heritage in an English Language Context”
Subashini K. Rajanthran
University of the Arts Singapore
“Curiosity, Creativity, Criticality: An AI-Resilient Framework for English-Medium Higher Arts Education”
Kai Wah Hen
Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman
“Cross-Border E-Commerce in Southeast Asia: A Qualitative Study of Challenges and Opportunities for Taiwanese Merchants”
Yulis
National Chung Hsing University
“Building Bilingual Environment in Taiwan: Bridging Policy and Practice in Public Education”
This is a fully in-person conference.
Questions may be directed to Chifumi Takagi at ctakagi@thu.edu.tw.