—About the Program—
Think tank collaboration is one of the key strategic pillars of the NSP+, enabling Taiwan to engage more deeply with the region through dialogue, knowledge sharing, and policy innovation. By connecting leading policy institutes across Asia and beyond, Taiwan contributes to building shared understanding and practical solutions to regional and global challenges.
The Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation (TAEF) plays a central role in advancing this mission, which is why think tank collaboration is one of our key programs—designed to create platforms for meaningful exchange and foster partnerships that extend beyond the scope of government-to-government engagement.
Through bilateral and multilateral dialogues, jointly developed policy research, and collaborative reports, TAEF works closely with regional think tanks to deepen insights on emerging issues, strengthen cooperation agendas among regional communities, and promote a more resilient, inclusive, and interconnected Indo-Pacific.
-Regional Policy Dialogues-
The program hosts regular high-level dialogues and policy seminars with partner organizations, serving as a vital platform to connect Taiwan with countries across the Indo-Pacific. These forums generate meaningful conversations and actionable insights among experts, helping to shape collaborative approaches to regional and global challenges and promote Taiwan’s role in the Indo-Pacific.
1.Biannual Think Tank Summit
In 2025, TAEF launched the NSP+ Think Tank Summit: “Prospects for a Resilient Indo-Pacific Policy”. This landmark gathering marked the launch of a new regional platform designed to deepen collaboration among leading think tanks and policy institutes from across the Indo-Pacific and beyond.TAEF established the regional forum to convene biennially, bringing together experts to exchange insights and identify concrete avenues for cooperation.
The 2025 inaugural summit gathered a diverse group of participants representing the Indo-Pacific’s leading minds. The event featured 26 external speakers from 11 countries and 100 attendees, including members of prominent think tanks, academic institutions, and policy organizations.The 2025 Summit explored four interconnected themes—strengthening democratic resilience, addressing complex security challenges, building trusted and sustainable supply chains, and advancing warm power to foster friendship and reciprocity among neighbouring countries.
Learn more about the 2025 inaugural Think Tank Summit here.
2. Annual Taiwan-India Dialogue
The Taiwan–India Dialogue is an ongoing annual forum co-hosted by TAEF and India's Observer Research Foundation (ORF). Established in 2022, the dialogue aims to strengthen bilateral cooperation in democracy, economic development, technology, and other emerging areas. It provides a platform for in-depth discussion on Indo-Pacific stability, economic resilience, and shared regional challenges.
The hosting alternates each year between Taipei and New Delhi, allowing both sides to take turns shaping the agenda and engaging local stakeholders. Recent sessions have explored issues such as economic and technology cooperation, maritime security, and the evolving geopolitical landscape of the Indo-Pacific. Learn more about the latest 2025 Taiwan-India Dialogue, which took place in Mumbai.
—Partnerships—
The think tanks TAEF cooperates with are primarily from New Southbound Policy countries and like-minded partners across the Indo-Pacific. We have signed memorandums of bilateral cooperation with several leading institutes, and we are always looking to expand our partnerships and grow our regional and global networks.
We have signed memorandums of bilateral cooperation with:
Japan: IDE-JETRO, Trans Pacific Group (TPG)
India: Observer Research Foundation (ORF), National Maritime Foundation (NMF)
United States: Global Taiwan Institute (GTI), Pacific Forum
Indonesia: The Habibie Center, Pijar Foundation
Thailand: Asia Centre
Philippines: Asian Center for Excellence in Development & Security (ACEDS) and Ramon Magsaysay Award
—Regional Research and Joint Policy Seminars—
Image of Taiwan and Taiwanese Businesses
As part of its ongoing research work, TAEF produces the “Image of Taiwan and Taiwanese Businesses” series, an annual project that draws on surveys, interviews, and other data-collection methods to understand how Taiwan is perceived by civil societies across Asia. The series explores local perspectives, attitudes, and recommendations regarding Taiwan and its businesses, offering data-driven insights that help inform strategies to strengthen Taiwan’s regional engagement and international image.
To date, surveys have been completed in Vietnam (2019), Indonesia (2020), Thailand (2021), Singapore (2022), Malaysia (2023), and the Philippines (2025). Across these countries, the findings show that Taiwan enjoys a strong reputation in tourism, food culture, trusted technology, and reliable business practices, while highlighting opportunities to improve in climate action and social responsibility. TAEF is scheduled to publish the Image of Taiwan and Taiwanese Businesses in Australia in 2026.
Joint Research with Global Taiwan Institute
TAEF collaborates with the Global Taiwan Institute (GTI) in the United States, facilitating the publication of joint policy research. These include reports such as the latest Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy+ and Comparative Indo-Pacific Strategies (2025), which compiles relevant articles and policy papers to highlight the strategic importance of Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy and its role in the broader Indo-Pacific region. You can find the rest of the research series between TAEF and GTI here.
In addition to publications, TAEF and GTI co-organize joint policy seminars, fostering dialogue and knowledge exchange between experts in Taiwan and abroad.
Policy Research Reports
TAEF has also published research examining Taiwan’s evolving role in the Indo-Pacific, with a focus on its relationships with New Southbound Policy countries, India, and Australia. Its work combines surveys, interviews, and expert contributions to provide fresh perspectives on economic and technological partnerships, regional security, democratic governance, and people-to-people exchange. Recent reports have explored the strategic potential of Taiwan–Southeast Asia relations, and the implementation of Taiwan’s “warm power” approach, offering actionable insights for policymakers and strengthening Taiwan’s regional engagement.
In 2025, as part of TAEF’s research collaboration with the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in India, TAEF co-published a report commemorating 30 years of India–Taiwan engagement, Taiwan-India @30: Charting a New Arc of Cooperation. Drawing on contributions from experts on both sides, the report identifies pathways to deepen economic and technological partnerships, foster people-to-people connections, and strengthen regional collaboration, reflecting Taiwan’s proactive role in shaping a resilient and mutually beneficial Indo-Pacific.
TAEF welcomes further research collaborations with think tanks interested in Taiwan, the Indo-Pacific, and beyond.