Admission for 2026 | International Master’s Program in Inter-Asia Cultural Studies (IACS-UST)

This program takes Inter-Asia Cultural Studies as its core framework to rethink world history and global culture. Drawing on the cultural studies expertise of faculty across the University System of Taiwan (UST), the program highlights its strength in interdisciplinary and advanced research.

The curriculum is organized around five thematic research clusters, designed to cultivate students’ ability to critically engage with the sociopolitical and historical-cultural dynamics of Inter-Asia. Graduates will possess cutting-edge, interdisciplinary knowledge in the humanities and social sciences, as well as a broad global perspective grounded in local cultural contexts.

【Participating Universities & Research Focus】

National Central University (NCU)

Inter-Asia Gender Studies, Colonialism & Multiple Modernities, Post/Cold War Decolonial Critique and Praxis
This cluster focuses on the dynamic intersections of social differences such as class, race, age, gender, sexuality, nationality, ethnicity, and religion. It moves away from Anglophone hegemonies and moral-progressive models in theorizing regional knowledge. Particular attention is given to the evolving gender/sexuality formations in post/Cold War Asia, and their historical entanglements and ruptures with empire, colonialism, and modernity.

National Chengchi University (NCCU)

Innovation, Media, and Cultural Governance
NCCU offers various degree and credit programs related to Asian cultural studies, such as the Austronesian Studies Program and the English-taught Asia-Pacific Studies MA/PhD programs.
Courses in this program emphasize “Media and Cultural Governance,” integrating interdisciplinary faculty and research on topics including cultural diversity, cultural policy, creative industries, heritage management, and cultural intellectual property.

National Tsing Hua University (NTHU)

Literary and Cultural Thought, Cultural Action, Memory Politics
NTHU leads the “Contemporary Thought and Social Movements” cluster, which is subdivided into:

Literary and Cultural Thought & Action
Contemporary Thought and Global Transformations
Asia: History, Politics, Society, and Culture

Recent research emphasizes the politics of memory in contemporary Taiwan, incorporating historical writing, cultural movements, and governance to explore its mechanisms, characteristics, and logic.

National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU)

Asian Modernity, Critical Theory, Artistic Intervention, Migration Studies, Digital Governance, Visual Culture
Focusing on the intersection of politics, aesthetics, and ethics, this cluster integrates teaching and research on “Critical Theory and Asian Modernities.” The aim is to reassess historical contexts and institutional structures that shape modernity and nation-building in Asia.

Courses in Visual Culture combine methodologies from art history, photography, and film studies, while drawing from critical theory, gender/queer studies, globalization, postcolonial studies, media studies, and history. Students analyze diverse texts—artworks, photographs, films, TV, advertisements, fashion, digital images, and scientific imagery—within global and transcultural contexts.

This transdisciplinary program seeks to foster international dialogue and innovation through an Inter-Asia network of cultural studies.

【Admissions】

Local Students (Taiwan Nationals):

Application-based Admission: Apply in September 2025; interviews in November 2025
UST Joint Entrance Exam: Register in December 2025

Overseas Chinese Students:

Apply via the University Entrance Committee for Overseas Chinese Students in November 2025

Mainland Chinese Students:

Apply via the University Entrance Committee for Mainland Chinese Students between January – April 2026

International Students
Please consult the International Office of each participating university for admission details.

【Scholarships】

UST Scholarships
Taiwan Fellowships & Scholarships

More Information:
https://iicsust.site.nthu.edu.tw/

Contact: +886 3-5743023
Email: apcs@my.nthu.edu.tw