摘要:一、 緣起
1972年臺日斷交之後,雙方在經貿、文化、教育之實質交流仍然相當密切,自1960年代起,臺灣在大學的正式課程實施日語教育已屆五十年,目前全國各大學設立日本語文學系、應用日語系者高達四十餘所。其中約有百分之三十的學校設有碩士班(十五所,含一所博士班),同時有九所大學設有日本研究中心,但蓬勃發展的日本語教育,與達到「培養知日人才」的理想目標仍有一段距離。因此,各大學日本研究中心未來該如何發展?探討現今臺日實質交流所面臨的問題點,深入瞭解日本的深層文化及其民族、國家,促進研究人才的整合,深化多領域的日本研究,作為提升國內產、官、學界與日本關係的正確指標,進而培養下一代日本研究的優秀人才,以利臺日雙方發展更高層次的關係,是刻不容緩的課題。
2010年12月,一群「有識者」為了瞭解世界各國日本研究的現況,邀請國外十五位知名的專家學者,以「台日相互理解的思索及實踐」為題,進行一場跨領域的日本研究論壇,作為未來臺灣國內發展日本研究的參考。日本前文化廳長官青木保教授在「異文化中的視野:國際日本研究的可能性」的演講中,分析區域研究的重要性,介紹美國及亞洲各國日本研究的現況,說明臺灣已具備日本研究的基礎條件 。
二、 問題與思考
在全球化、區域化、在地化快速變遷的時代,我們深切感受到過去專注於培育日本語文專業人才達到良好的目標,卻在銜接日本研究人才的培育上出現了瓶頸,導致「日本研究」至今尚未成為政府(科技部)認可的一個學門。展望未來,臺灣面對國際社會日趨重視的跨領域研究之時勢潮流,我們必須立足於先進賢達奠基國內厚實的日本語文教育,認真思考國內日本研究人才的培育問題。
東亞地區現在面臨歷史性的轉換期,各國在歷史認識、領土問題方面的「區域認知(Area Identity)」依然薄弱,導致互不信任,對立加深,這種因民族主義的衝突而產生對立(Escalation)致無法解決的情況,是令人擔心的事實。我國在社會、文化、教育、經濟方面,雖日趨受到國際社會的關注,但與日本之間因無邦交,常常受制於中國大陸的反應,因此大家更需要關注東亞國際社會及中日之間政治結構變動的事實,以了解東亞各國的多樣性社會所呈現的複雜問題。
就地理位置與條件而言,我國與日本同為島國,地震頻繁,災難救助、醫療、老人化、少子化問題都呈現類同的現象,雙方航線、漁權的資源共享,在在皆需要談判的人才。透過政府及民間企業的支援,若能落實日本研究的人才整合及培育,探討日本的深層文化及其民族性,他山之石,可以攻錯。經驗的攝取與互補,必能提升臺日之間實質的良好關係,進而對東亞的區域形成作出貢獻。
日本研究屬於「區域研究」(Area Studies)的範疇,現今東亞國際社會最具必要性的,即是區域內各國之間互補性的研究,而我國的日本研究在其中更需要加以定位。透過本次論壇,希望思考(1)臺灣日本研究的人才整合與發展方向;(2)東亞日本研究的國際合作;(3)日本研究的人才培育等未來臺灣日本研究的策略,同時建立與世界各國日本研究機構的橫向聯繫、交換資訊,並構築人文及社會科學的對話機制。
三、 策略、轉機與目的
二十世紀,冷戰結束及全球化帶給國際社會嶄新的變化,導致傳統的「區域研究」面臨重大的挑戰,尤其是高度資訊化的社會,知識、資訊急速大眾化,「區域研究」的專業性受到新的挑戰。而臺灣的日本研究一直停留在教育體制與現實社會的人才運用脫節的狀態。亦即國內日本研究發展的相互認知,呈現「語言學習化」的現象,而且日益顯著。有鑑於此,我們必須重新思考建構國內的日本研究機制,建立往下紮根的整合體制,以呈現複合、多元的良性發展,培育未來國內的日本研究人才,並展開新的學際合作、國際共同研究的新趨勢,進而思考「專家」與「知識份子」所扮演的功能及其意義。如何將綜合的、多元的日本研究知識經驗提供大家分享,尋求理解,進而謀求解決之道,是舉辦論壇之主要目的,透過「專家」與「知識份子」集思廣益,將問題檢討與改進,化危機為轉機,是今後國內發展日本研究必須推動的新方向。
Abstract: I. Origin
After the severance of diplomatic relations between Taiwan and Japan in 1972, the bilateral cultural, economic, educational exchanges remain close. It has been fifty years since the fist Japanese language courses was officially offered in Taiwan’s university in the 1960s. Nowadays, forty universities have established the department of Japanese language and literature or the department of applied Japanese language. Among them, thirty percent of these departments established master programs (fifteen departments has master programs and include one Ph.D. program) and nine universities established the center for Japanese studies. Despite that Japanese language education has developed vigorously, there is still a long way to go before it reaches the ideal goal of “training professionals who truly understand Japan.” Therefore, to which direction should the centers for Japanese studies in Taiwan’s universities head? There are several urgent tasks: Discuss the problems encountered in the actual exchanges between Japan and Taiwan; understand Japan’s deep culture, nation, government profoundly; promote the integrations of researchers; intensify multi-disciplinary Japanese studies; serve as correct indicators in promoting the relation between Japan and Taiwan’s industrial, governmental, and academic sector, and train the outstanding professionals in the field of Japanese studies. It will help to bring Taiwanese-Japanese relations to the higher level.
In December 2010, in order to understand the current situation of Japanese studies in the world, a group of “Yushikisha (有識者, translated as knowledgeable people)” invited fifteen foreign notable specialists and scholars to Taiwan and hold a cross-discipline forum of Japanese studies entitled “Thinking and Practicing Taiwan-Japan Mutual Understanding.” This forum provides some insights for future Japanese studies development in Taiwan. In the lecture “View from Other Culture: Possibility of International Japanese Studies,” delivered by the former Director General of the Agency for Cultural Affairs Professor Tamotsu Aoki, he analyzed the importance of area studies and introduced the current situation of Japanese studies in the United States and other Asian countries. He pointed out that Taiwan has already met the basic qualification of Japanese studies.
II. Problem and Thinking
In the era with rapid changes characterized by globalization, regionalization and localization, we fully realize that this field has been focused on training professionals in the subfield of Japanese literature and language and indeed achieved fruitful results; however, this field overlooked the importance of training professionals of Japanese studies as a whole and consequently not enough young scholars can carry on tasks left by the last generation. The result is that our government (Ministry of Science and Technology) has not recognized Japanese studies as a discipline yet. For future perspectives, Taiwan now faces the worldwide trend of emphasizing inter-discipline research. Based on the solid foundation in the Japanese literature and language training established by our predecessor, we need to sincerely think about the problem of training professionals for the whole field of Japanese studies.
The region of East Asia is now facing a historical transition period. “Area Identity” in the aspects of history understanding and territorial issues among East Asian countries remain disaccord. This bred mutual distrust and intensification of conflict. We are concerned that the escalation of frictions resulted from the conflict of nationalisms may cause the inextricable situation. Although the international society has increasing interests in societal, cultural, education, and economic situation in Taiwan; however, because there is no official diplomatic relations between Taiwan and Japan, Taiwan’s relations with Japan are restricted by China’s responses. Thus, we need to notice the fact that the political structures in the East Asian region and between Japan and China have changed and understand the complicated problem presented by diverse societies of the East Asian countries.
Regarding the geographical location and condition, Taiwan and Japan are both island countries and encounter the similar problems like earthquake, disaster relief, medication, aging, sub-replacement fertility, etc. Moreover, Taiwan and Japan share air route and resource of fishing and Taiwan needs professionals who is able to negotiate with Japan. If we can train and integrate professionals specializing in Japanese studies through the support of government and private enterprises, we are able to investigate Japan’s culture and nationality and learn lessons from Japan’s experiences. Learning from Japan’s experience and overcoming each other’s shortcoming will strengthen ties between Japan and Taiwan and contribute to the further integration of East Asian region.
Japanese Studies is a part of “Area Studies.” The most important studies that the East Asian society needs is the complementary research in the East Asian countries. In addition, it is necessary for Japanese studies in Taiwan clarifying its position. Through this forum, we hope to deliberate several issues: (1) the integration of professionals and the development direction of Japanese studies in Taiwan; (2) The international cooperation of Japanese studies in the East Asia; (3) The future strategies of Japanese studies in Taiwan, e.g. training professionals of Japanese studies. Except these, we should establish lateral communication and exchange information with the institutions of Japanese studies in the world and establish the dialogue mechanism between humanity and social science disciplines.
III. Strategy, Opportunity, and Goal
In the twentieth century, the end of Cold War and globalization brought new changes to international society and it caused critical challenges to the traditional “area studies.” Especially in a highly information society, the public can access to the knowledge and information rapidly and it challenges the professionality of “area studies.” Japanese studies in Taiwan trapped in a situation that the trainings in the education system do not meet the actual needs in the society. In other words, the mutual perception of the development of Japanese studies in Taiwan is limited to “language training” and it becomes increasingly apparent. Based on this, we need to rethink about constructing an integration mechanism of Japanese studies in Taiwan. This mechanism should encourages all the institutions develop compoundedly and diversely, train future professionals of Japanese studies, response to the new trend of cross-institutional cooperation and international joint research, and think about the function and meaning of “specialists” and “intellectuals.” The main purpose of this forum is to discuss how to share the comprehensive and diverse knowledge and experience of Japanese studies with each other and seek for understanding and solution. Borrowing the thoughts and knowledge of “specialists” and “intellectuals,” we hope to discuss the problems and get improvement and turn a crisis to an opportunity. We consider the development of Japanese studies should head to this new direction.