Workshop | Understanding and Handling Mechanisms for Ethnic Discrimination on Campus

In recent years, discriminatory speech on campus has become increasingly prevalent. Such speech not only causes psychological and emotional harm to marginalized groups, but also seriously impedes the University's efforts to foster "cultural sensitivity" and build an "ethnically inclusive campus." This phenomenon further highlights the inadequacies of existing campus legal frameworks and response mechanisms, underscoring the urgent need to incorporate ethnic equality into the University's broader governance structure and to put into practice the spirit of "Indigenous Education for All" under the Indigenous Peoples Education Act. How should discriminatory speech be legally defined and addressed? While preventing discrimination, how should governments and universities draw the appropriate boundary between anti-discrimination measures and freedom of expression? These questions urgently require discussion and reflection within a more institutionalized framework and from an international perspective.

Against this background, the workshop will adopt an approach centered on issue-based discussion and the exchange of experiences, building on the interim outcomes of National Taiwan University's "Five-Year Ethnic Equity Plan." It will examine existing mechanisms for addressing discriminatory speech on campus and explore how to create a safe, welcoming, and inclusive campus environment while safeguarding freedom of expression.

To explore possible approaches to designing mechanisms for addressing discriminatory speech on campus, the Indigenous Students Resource Center at National Taiwan University, the Judicial Reform Foundation, and Amnesty International Taiwan will use National Taiwan University as a practical setting for jointly examining the development and implementation of relevant institutional mechanisms through a workshop format. The discussion will also draw on insights from surveys of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies at leading universities around the world.

At the same time, the workshop aims to help Indigenous students at National Taiwan University develop a more concrete understanding of the concepts and implications of discriminatory speech, learn about institutional responses to discriminatory speech adopted by higher education institutions internationally, and reflect on and assess the design and shortcomings of the mechanisms currently in place at National Taiwan University. In doing so, the workshop seeks to lay the groundwork for developing anti-discrimination mechanisms at the level of university-wide governance.

Online Registration

Target Participants

College and university students

Event Date

Saturday, March 21, 2026

Event Location

College of Public Health, National Taiwan University

Agenda

Time	Activity	Speaker/Moderator
08:30–09:00	Registration
09:00–09:10	Opening Remarks	Moderator: Shu-Mei Huang, Director, Indigenous Students Resource Center, National Taiwan University
09:10–10:40	Understanding Discrimination: Controversies over Discriminatory Speech on Campus — The NTU Experience and Discussion Design	Speaker: Po-Han Lee, Associate Professor, Institute of Health Policy and Management, National Taiwan University
10:40–11:00	Break
11:00–12:20	Group Case Discussions
12:20–13:30	Lunch
13:30–15:00	Anti-Discrimination Law: Concepts, Legal Frameworks, and Application	Speaker: Wen-Chen Chang, Distinguished Professor, College of Law, National Taiwan University
15:00–15:20	Break
15:20–16:30	Group Discussions
16:30–17:30	Group Presentations	Moderator: Shu-Mei Huang, Director, Indigenous Students Resource Center, National Taiwan University; Speakers: Po-Han Lee, Associate Professor, Institute of Health Policy and Management, National Taiwan University; Wen-Chen Chang, Distinguished Professor, College of Law, National Taiwan University

Organizers

Indigenous Students Resource Center, National Taiwan University

Health Policy and Social Studies Program, National Taiwan University

Co-organizers

Judicial Reform Foundation

Amnesty International Taiwan