GIS Taiwan 2026 (Global Initiatives Symposium in Taiwan) was held on campus, June 29 - July 3. Arranged by the Office of Student Affairs at National Taiwan University (NTU) and organized by a student-led team, this annual forum convenes leaders from academia, industry, and government to interact with students from across the globe, offering a rich interdisciplinary and intergenerational platform for dialogue, collaboration, and the exchange of ideas.
Cued by this year's theme, "Bond & Beyond," participants were encouraged to build meaningful connections while expanding and enriching their perspectives on global challenges. The opening ceremony featured remarks by Taiwan’s Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao, followed by keynote sessions with distinguished speakers from Taiwan and abroad, including Rusha Vonk, Adjunct Research Fellow at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, and Lih Tian Chia, Associate Professor at the Singapore Management University Yong Pung How School of Law. Connecting with the student delegates, they explored two featured themes—Global Regionalization and Emotional Economy—through interdisciplinary and intergenerational discussions.
The five-day program also included Leaders' Dialogues conducted by industry experts, a World Café that brought together ambassadors and international participants for cross-cultural exchanges, local immersion activities developed in partnership with regional revitalization organizations, and group capstone projects in which participants collaborated to understand and address contemporary global issues. Through these diverse learning experiences, delegates learned to develop practical solutions, broadened and enriched their international perspectives, and built lasting connections, embodying the spirit of "Beyond" by promising to extend dialogue into future collaboration.
This year's forum selected 31 promising high school and university student delegates from seven countries. By encouraging young people to examine and discuss global issues then transform their ideas into positive action, GIS Taiwan continues to empower the next generation of leaders to create meaningful impact while fostering international understanding and collaboration.
Participants at the World Café and small-group discussion sessions.
Panel discussants exploring the themes of Global Regionalization and Emotional Economy.
Industry mentors leading interactive discussions with student delegates.
Participants engaging in a Leaders' Dialogue roundtable discussion.
Participants experiencing local revitalization initiatives through a traditional tea-making activity in Pinglin.
