《1979年後美台關係特展》巡迴展在東海
由美國在台協會（AIT）與東海大學共同舉辦的「1979年後美台關係特展」巡迴展，6月8日起至8月20日於東海大學圖書館一樓主題展示區展出。展覽內容以歷史文物、老照片、口述歷史影片、AR擴增實境等多媒體為主，回顧自1979年《台灣關係法》簽署以來，美國與台灣在工、商、衛生與醫療、文化及教育等各方面發展的緊密關係，呈現美國在台協會在台耕耘40年的豐碩成果。
6月11日下午開幕式，由東海大學校長王茂駿與主辦單位美國在台協會代表裴德禮Bradley Parker共同揭幕，傅爾布萊特學術交流基金會(Fulbright Taiwan)執行長Randall L. Nadeau、東海大學政治系系主任胡祖慶亦受邀參與開幕致詞。
東海大學校長王茂駿表示，東海與美國有相當的歷史連結淵源，1952年美國在華基督教大學聯合董事會執行祕書方威廉博士，建議在台設立基督教大學，並提出《我所預見設於台灣的基督教大學備忘錄》，是東海大學創校後的各項教育方針、教學制度設計的重要指引。隔年11月11日，美國副總統尼克森先生亦親自來台主持東海大學的奠基破土典禮。王茂駿說，東海在美國的姐妹校將近50校，由早期開始至今，許多美國籍的教師在東海授課，讓東海的學生能與國際接軌並接受跨領域教育。
美國在台協會代表裴德禮Bradley Parker表示，2004年第一次到台灣環島2週，感受台灣人民的友善與熱情，並透過旅遊了解台灣的歷史、文化與故事，對台灣留下深刻的印象。裴德禮說，他曾在香港和廣州任職，長期以來思考台灣與中國以及與美國的關係。當今的美台友誼和台灣發展成為經濟強國和充滿活力的民主制度，可以說超出了預期，台灣向世界證明，民主不分種族、宗教或族裔，並且兼容東西方文化傳統。裴德禮希望透本次特展，讓更多人了解美台夥伴關係的廣度和深度，目前美台關係在美國國會中得到了七位美國總統以及共和黨和民主黨的支持。美台關係是非常重要，且現在更為重要。美台關係為「真朋友，真發展」，這是下一個四十年要努力的，也是為了讓世界變更好的作為。
本次展覽中，透過文物、照片、影片等，可以看到AIT在台成立的發展歷程史，喚起許多人當年赴美求學的背景記憶。這四十年來美國與台灣的關係，即使受到政治環境因素的影響，在兩國之間的工、商、衛生與醫療、文化、及教育等各方面，在實質上卻是不斷互惠進展與聯繫。大事記年表的呈現，可以讓觀眾清楚看見1979至2020歷年中AIT與台灣的重要歷史事件紀錄。此外，也有實體歷史文件的展示，如《台灣關係法的立法歷史》、「蔣經國總統與華盛頓郵報董事長葛蘭姆女士談話紀錄」文件、雷根總統寄給馬康衛大使關於對台灣承諾的信件等。
而透過視聽媒體的運用，如AR擴增實境的導覽介紹、VR虛擬實境體驗所產生的互動連結，亦是創意的延伸展示與驚喜。AIT與民視合作的口述歷史影片，涵蓋了文化、藝術、資訊、運動、政治、經濟等多面向的人物專訪，包括旅美職棒投手陳偉殷、數位政委唐鳳、音樂家朱宗慶、前總統李登輝、1976-1979年美國駐台使館官員默克爾等，各領域之傑出人物分享美台關係之經驗。
東海大學是台灣大專校院中，創校歷史與美國有重要淵源的學校之一，且持續與美國的大學、重要學術機構、文化教育機構等進行多樣形式的交流。本次展覽不僅讓觀眾重溫過往美台關係四十年的演進史外，也讓青年學子藉由了解歷史脈絡，進而選擇具有共同追求知識自由、發揮所長的自由國度就學或就業，是具有高度教育意義之展出。
※ ※ ※
“Exhibition of U.S. and Taiwan Relations Since 1979”
at Tunghai University
” The Exhibition of U.S. and Taiwan Relations since 1979” is from June 8 to August 20 at the expo area on the ground floor of THU Library, featuring historical artifacts, documents, photographs, films, and Augmented Reality to reflect the connectedness of industry, commerce, culture, education, Medicare and sanitation under this bilateral framework since 1979. It is a revisit of AIT’s fruitful contribution in the past 4 decades.
The grand opening was held on June 11, 2020, co-hosted by THU President MaoJiun Wang and Bradley Parker from AIT. Francis Hu (Chair of the Department of Political Science) and Randall L. Nadeau (Executive of Fulbright Taiwan) were invited to give short talks at the beginning.
President MaoJiun Wang indicated that Tunghai University had a deep historical connection with the U.S. Dr. William P. Fenn’s (the executive secretary of The United Board for Christian Colleges in China) 1952 “Memorandum to the Trustees on the Kind of Christian College I Would Like to See on Formosa” provided important guidance for the development of Tunghai University. On November 11, 1953, the President of the United States of America, Richard Nixon came to host the ground-breaking ceremony. Our teachers of an earlier time were all American scholars. Even as of now, there are still may professors and lecturers from the States to help Tunghai University with global and interdisciplinary education.
Bradley Parker indicated that he had a 2-week bicycle tour around Taiwan and was deeply impressed by the enthusiasm friendliness. “During those two weeks on the road,” he recalled, “and the three years I spent in Taiwan afterward, I acquired a deep and lasting affection for Taiwan and the Taiwanese people. So much so, that I’ve spend the last twelve years trying to get back here!” Through this tour he had also understood more about Taiwanese history, culture, and stories.
He said that he had worked in Hong Kong and Guan Zhou and has been long thinking about the relations among Taiwan, China, and U.S. Taiwan’s achievement today is really beyond expectation. Taiwan has proven to the world of its open-mindedness in that democracy is for all races and religions, and it takes in traditions of the east and west. Bradley Parker further revealed that through this Exhibition, hopefully more people would understand the depth and width of our mutual relations, which was greatly valued by 7 presidents of both parties in the U.S. Taiwan and U.S. relations were important in the past and even more so in the future. We are “true friends for real developments”. This is what we both hope for in the next 4 decades to come to make a better world.
The Exhibition this time is a journey back to the past with AIT, conjuring up memories through artifacts, photos, and films. This was a time when many professors were in the States for study. Even though there had been political changes, the connectedness of industry, commerce, culture, education, Medicare and sanitation under this bilateral framework never ceased to grow. The chronicle of important events allows the students to visualize records of important historical events and these include “The Legislative History of Taiwan Relations,” “Documentary of Talks between JingGuo Jiang and Katharine Meyer Graham from the Washington Post,” and Ronald Reagan’s letters to Walter Patrick McConaughy to assure the U.S. promise to Taiwan.
Besides, Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality provide interactive surprises in an artistic way. A documentary by FTV and AIT covers interviews of people in various fields, such as baseball celebrity (Weiyin Chen), percussion musician (Zhongching Ju), Audrey Tang, and former President (Tenghui Lee), Frederic Maerkle (former AIT officer) to share their journey in this Taiwan-U.S. relation.
Among all the universities in Taiwan, Tunghai University is one of the few that have a close tie with the U.S. We expect to have more exchanges with universities, institutes, and cultural agencies in the future days to come. Hopefully, this Exhibition helps the youth learn from the past and put it to good use for their future.
(誠摯感謝英語中心主任陳順龍博士協助提供以上英譯新聞稿)