The Main Focus and Future Development of the Aboriginal School of Ethnology
In the future development of the institute, the following main points are most Important
  1. Research questions of ethnic development and theory
    The development of Taiwanese aboriginal society is now trapped in a position of institutional inferiority. Aboriginal society is facing the dangers of social disintegration and cultural extinction. It can be said that its very existence is facing severe challenges. The establishment of this institute is an attempt to address the needs of Taiwanese aboriginal development. By means of the vast perspectives and field of vision of theory, as well as basic practice, it should construct a theory of ethnic development and cultivate strong forces for social action.
  2. Cultivate aboriginal human capital
    Since the institute will accept primarily aboriginal students, it will not just prepare a rich base of scholarship on ethnicity. It will cultivate multi-cultural accomplishments, create a sense of ethnic responsibility, and establish human talent suitable for aboriginal society. Because of this, it will not only develop from scholarly perspectives, but will also take care of the special needs of aborigines. It will unite manpower and resources in research, protect ethnic culture and serve aboriginal society. It will take charge of cultivating the competitiveness of aborigines and help them adjust to modern society.
  3. Provide consulting on related policies
    This institute is responsible for scholarly consulting and planning, combining theory and practice to provide a theoretical base and policy consulting for our nation's aboriginal policy, and to lead in the reform and development of policy.
    This institute will thus bring together current research resources, systemize and deepen questions of ethnic development in China and abroad, construct a unique theoretical system, plan a forward looking ethnic policy, propose appropriate policy cases and suggestions, and provide ideas for the government to promote aboriginal policies.
  4. Protect and develop aboriginal culture
    This school's School of Ethnology was established to implement education on the basis of respecting ethnic groups and their cultures, in order to strongly promote the research and transmission of aboriginal culture in accordance to the needs and special characteristics of aborigines. This institute is strongly focused on aboriginal teachers and students. It will benefit research, protect and develop aboriginal culture. It will combine teaching and research, cultivate scholarship, research aboriginal culture, arrange ethnic cultural resources, and cultivate the cultural seeds of each ethnic group. This institute will accordingly collect data and conduct research, ascertain the presence of problems, and provide policy with methods and ways of solving problems, all in order to help the government promote the work of cultural construction and encourage the transmission and development of aboriginal culture.
  5. Practice locally and serve the township
    In addition to its roles as an institution of ethnic instruction and research, this institute will actively maintain contacts and cooperate with tribes and communities, get involved in the cultural construction work in aboriginal tribes, plan the engineering of "general tribal construction," train the
    cultural consciousness of aboriginal renaissance, and construct the collective force of culture. By bringing together reseach resources, research manpower, grants and research projects, this institute will strengthen research on ethnic questions, fortify the functions of social service, and actively participate in the planning and administration of aboriginal community development. It is hoped that this institute will become a consulting centre and think tank of aboriginal community development.
  6. International centre of Austronesian research
    In the future, one of the main development goals of this institute is to become a central point in international and Austronesian ethnic research. It will thus continue to strengthen its teaching staff and curriculum, increase library data, strengthen its collection of teaching materials and useful reading material, purchase specialized literature and special works. Simultaneously, it will collecting data on aboriginal cultural history, tapes, films, music, oral histories, personal diaries, tribal histories, etc., in order to establish a unique library of Austronesian peoples.