Beijing Pressed at Brussels to Open EU Market
The 21st EU-China Summit was held in Brussels. If China had hoped to gain European allies in the trade war against the United States, they got a rude awakening. The EU views China as a “systematic rival” and urges Beijing to open its market.
Gold for Chinese Taipei
Chinese Taipei enjoyed a perfect week in Romania as it won the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship Division II Group B.
Finland is The World’s Happiest Country – Again
What really makes a happy nation? The report’s authors insist it's not just about money. Finland tops the happiness list despite not having the highest GDP of the Nordic countries.
Xi Jinping is in Europe; Why is Taiwan Worried?
President of China Xi Jinping is making state visits to three European countries this week. Special attention is being paid to discussions concerning the controversial “Belt and Road Initiative” with the Italian government, as well as a possible visit to the Vatican. Taiwan is especially nervous about Xi meeting the Pope in the Holy See.
The Netherlands is Paying People to Cycle to Work
There are more bicycles than people in the Netherlands and they account for almost half of all journeys between home and work in the city of Amsterdam alone. It’s small wonder the country proudly calls itself the “unrivalled number one bicycling nation” in the world.
Break the Fast Fashion Habit and Save the Planet
As Paris fashion week gets underway, the environmental cost of cheap, fast turnaround fashion is in the spotlight.
The Secret to Gender Equality
Nordic countries lead the world at closing the gender gap and, in recent years, have taken root at the top of the global rankings. But why are these nations so far ahead of others?
Germany Is the World’s Most Innovative Economy
Germany comes top for innovation in the World Economic Forum's report on global competitiveness. Here's why.
How 'The Taiwan Night Market Champion' Fought to the Top
Tseng Chun Hsin, the Taiwanese boy who defeated the host country Britain's Jack Draper to win the Wimbledon boy’s singles title, has just turned 17 today (Aug. 8), having fulfilled the goal he boldly claimed three years ago—becoming a world champion.
Does Hosting a World Cup Make Economic Sense to the Host Country?
2018 World Cup in Russia is coming soon. The total economic impact of the mega sports event could be $30.8 billion by 2023.
Advantech Launches Counter Attack from Europe
Ennoconn Corporation, a member of the Hon Hai/ Foxconn Technology Group, is steadily closing in on Taiwanese industrial computer manufacturer Advantech Co. Ltd., threatening to replace it as the global No. 1. How does Advantech plan to win this battle?
What Makes S. Korea and Sweden the Most Innovative Countries in the World?
These are the most innovative countries in the world, South Korea, Sweden and Singapore top the list.
Netherlands is Turning Prisons into Homes for Refugees
Thanks to plummeting crime rates, Dutch authorities have come up with new ways to use the vacant cell blocks.
Students Clamoring to Study at Revolutionary Free Tech School
While the acceptance rate at Taiwanese universities stands above 100 percent, only 1 percent of applicants are accepted at École 42, a private computer programming school in Paris. What makes this institution even more difficult to get into than a prestigious, top-ranked university like Harvard?
The Secret of the World’s Most Competitive Nation
Though Switzerland has consistently held the top spot in the Global Competitiveness Rankings by the World Economic Forum, the landlocked nation has slipped to rank 47 for enrollment in higher education. The country boasts the most internationalized universities, yet it says internationalization is not the goal.
Digital Brains Aid in Farming and Surgery
Robotic arms in operating rooms are old news. But now digital brains are taking on greater roles independent from human operators, serving as assistants during surgical procedures, and also helping farmers tend their vegetable fields.
Cambridge – The World’s High-Tech Talent Pool
Over the past century, the University of Cambridge has spawned 92 Nobel prize laureates across all categories. With its cutting-edge research and technology, the Cambridge tech cluster has attracted more than 4,300 talent-hungry companies from around the world.
Keep Moving Forward
Like his projects, Thomas Heatherwick operates in a world of practical considerations and constraints, relentlessly working to bridge modern cities with the individual need to feel important and productive. Inside Heatherwick Studio, an exhibition at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum through May 15, celebrates and gives insight into the mind behind such projects as the Garden Bridge and the British Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.
Global Low-Carbon Trends Taking Hold
The conclusion of the Paris Climate Agreement has raised the curtain on a low-carbon future. How are French and German corporations taking up the challenge to turn low carbon into high profits?
'Acquiring' Ancestors in Taiwan
Inside a cluster of decrepit wooden houses dating from the Japanese period, French scholar Stéphane Corcuff came across a wooden ancestral memorial plaque that changed his relationship with Taiwan.
Making the Future
He is the man behind the stunning UK Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo and the 2012 Olympic cauldron. How does this uncompromising "Da Vinci of our times" present a new Great Britain to the world?
Make Less, But Better
The British design team of Barber and Osgerby gained world fame with their design of a stylish and light all-weather Olympic torch for the London Olympics in 2012. What is the source of their creativity?
'Everything Is a Design'
The director of Denmark's foremost school of design considers the sources of Scandinavian design prowess, the methodology behind the minimalism, and the importance of community.
Making an Art of the 'Simple Life'
Healing diets, a comfortable home, the simple pleasures of life – Taiwanese are gravitating more than ever to this "simple life." To figure out how to get there, their best bet is to look at Scandinavia.
17 Days to Forge the Next 70 Years
The eyes of the world will be on London for 17 days this summer. But once the Olympic Games are over, will they leave the positive legacy for future generations promised by their organizers?
After the Olympics, the Park Must Live On
Once the London Olympic Games have concluded, the risk of leaving behind disused venues is great. How does London plan to turn Olympic Park into a future community landmark and favored tourist destination?
Why Is Finland Tops in Civics?
Finland often emerges a champion in a variety of educational evaluations, and civic education is no exception. With no formal civics classes, how is it that Finnish kids produce the best civic education achievements?
Small Countries, Smart Successes
It's the world's wealthiest gulf region: eight small countries with a tradition of equality and universally enviable growth, which may provide some timely lessons for Taiwan.
Affluence, with Strings Attached
Possessed of a strong sense of self-reliance and personal responsibility, the Swiss live direct democracy, taking their destiny in their own hands. They must also keep scrambling to meet the challenges that affluence presents.
Putting the Middle Class on Center Stage
Switzerland is best known for luxury watches, the Alps, and secretive banks. But the landlocked country has carved out a distinctive way of life that makes it one of the world's most livable places.
Broad Base, Core Competitiveness
With the world's highest production value, Swiss industry must be doing something right. A broad manufacturing base and a solid two-track vocational education system may be the secrets to Swiss success.
Roofs that Make Money
Across Germany homeowners are installing photovoltaic systems on their roofs to generate electricity, and selling surplus power to utility companies. They are determined to help end the era of nuclear power through green energy.
The Last Joyride of the Crickets
Like the cricket in Aesop's Fables, the Greeks have enjoyed a carefree life with little concern for the future. But now this once-glorious civilization has become the panhandler of Europe. Three key factors lie behind the Grecian downfall.
Technical Training: the Sound Foundation
Taiwan's vocational education system was long patterned after Germany's but has veered away from its technical-orientation over the past decade. It may be time to look to Germany again.
Fourteen days to seal history's judgment on this generation
CommonWealth Magazine is one of the many media organizations from more than 40 countries that are speaking with one voice on climate change during the Copenhagen summit.
Rising Software Superpower
Just as Kaspersky is occupying the top perch in the anti-virus industry, Russian software seems to be taking over the world, with Taiwanese handset brands and OEM manufacturers counting among their major customers.
Mini E Leaves Conventional Cars in the Dust
Luxury carmaker BMW developed a hip electric car in less than a year. A replica of the British cult car Mini Cooper, with a battery made in Taiwan, the Mini E boasts an acceleration faster than most combustion-engine vehicles.
Open, Integrated, Reborn
A city of openness, innovation, intellectual authority and unquestionable energy, London now stands as the financial capital of the world. What secrets does it have to teach Taipei?
Independent Voices Leading the World
The global media?s values are under assault by the Internet, industry consolidation, and sensationalism. But some British outlets are bucking the trend.
Sweden: A Model for the Middle Path
The Swedish model shows that social welfare and competitiveness need not be mutually exclusive, and may prove the solution to globalized society’s continually widening wealth gap.
Estonia: the Baltic Tiger
Despite a tragic history and geographical limitations, this former Soviet republic with a tiny population is turning weaknesses into advantages.
Finland: The World's Most Competitive Small Nation
With three major strategies, a small, out-of-the-way country, poor and downtrodden for 800 years, became a land of plenty and a model the whole world seeks to emulate.