Unexplored, Unsaid - by Alethios - Public Service

Taiwan is one of the most fascinating places on the planet. Whether due to geography, diplomatic isolation, or language barriers, Taiwan’s public sector has had relatively limited interaction with the rest of the world for much of its recent history. The more senior the public official, the more isolated they’ve been1. The result is a society with unique institutions, processes, regulations, and professional standards. Thus, travelling to Taiwan as a public sector professional is perhaps a bit like an artist discovering the existence of an independent tradition, complete with its own styles, references, and layers of meaning2. I’ve previously covered Taiwan’s world-class underground metro, its housing crisis, the curation at the National Museum, daily family life, the context gap in professional communication, and a brief primer on cross-strait relations. Unfortunately, with only three months in the country, my time split by commitments to my family and role back home, I could only cov

Taiwan is one of the most fascinating places on the planet. Whether due to geography, diplomatic isolation, or language barriers, Taiwan’s public sector has had relatively limited interaction with the rest of the world for much of its recent history. The more senior the public official, the more isolated they’ve been1. The result is a society with unique institutions, processes, regulations, and professional standards. Thus, travelling to Taiwan as a public sector professional is perhaps a bit like an artist discovering the existence of an independent tradition, complete with its own styles, r