Social and Economic History Group Lecture

Speaker:
Macabe Keliher (Associate Professor, William P. Clements Department of History, Southern Methodist University & Visiting Scholar of Institute of Sociology, Academia Sinia)

Topic:
Manufacturing Capacity and Economic Development in Postwar Taiwan: The Case of Aluminum
戰後臺灣的製造能力與經濟發展: 以鋁及臺鋁為例

Date and Time:
Thursday, May 16, 2023. 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Place:
Room 802 at ITH

Language:
Mandarin Chinese

Registration:
Click Here to Register

Abstract:
While scholars of Taiwan’s industrialization and postwar growth often focus on finished export goods, this presentation asks how firms obtained inputs and achieved manufacturing capacity. I argue that in order to understand Taiwan’s economic development, upstream and midstream industries need to be taken into consideration, and that aluminum was one of the most important industries. Drawing on firm archives, internal publications, and local reports I show how Taiwan’s export production was made possible by aluminum inputs and aluminum-made machinery. I argue that without domestically produced aluminum, Taiwan’s export industry would not have been able to achieve cost-competitive rates in the international market, nor would it have even been able to manufacture export products. This perspective not only offers a new explanation of Taiwan’s economic development, but also provides better policy direction for developing countries. 

Please Note:

1. To participate, please register online in advance. Registration is open until May 9, 2024 (Thursday). Successful registrants will receive an email notice. Onsite registration is not allowed
2. If you have registered but unable to attend, please let us know in advance and prevent from being excluded from our future events. (Contact: Mr. Huang at sehrgith@gmail.com)