Yung Lin is a PhD Candidate at the Institute of Security and Global Affairs, Leiden University. Her research project is entitled: Affairs, Leiden University. Her research project is entitled: Public Diplomacy as a Contributing Factor to Solving Identity-based Conflict – Taiwan Repositions its Identity and Security Status (2000 - 2020).

More information about Yung Lin

Yung Lin has been researching on the dynamics of soft power and public diplomacy in East Asia since obtaining her Master in International Studies and Diplomacy at SOAS, University of London. Her master dissertation “How have Taiwan’s Social Movements in the Past Ten Years Impacted on its Public Diplomacy?” argues that Taiwan has plenty of soft power resources but was not well strategized, which was published on The News Lens International. After finishing the master degree, she worked in London for investment firms and risk analysis consultancies covering Asia market.

Yung Lin is a TQUK certified teacher promoting classic literature studies. She has a BA in Foreign Languages and Literature at National Sun Yat-sen University, Taiwan. She believes that the literature studies are important for young students to develop the skills of critical thinking and independent analysis. She is currently a tutorial teacher at Faculty of Humanities for the BA International Studies program.

Research project

Yung Lin's PhD research project is entitled: Public Diplomacy as a Contributing Factor to Solving Identity-based Conflict – Taiwan Repositions its Identity and Security Status (2000 - 2020). It is It is supervised by Prof. Madeleine Hosli and Dr. Frans-Paul van der Putten of the Clingendeal Institute. 

This research project aims to evaluate to what extent public diplomacy in East Asia becomes a conflict resolution and to advise on Taiwan’s diplomatic policy in pursuit of this region’s stable integration. From 2000 to 2020 in East Asia, the awareness of promoting stable regional integration has been growing, and most importantly the demand for conflict resolution. Along with the dynamic economic interaction, East Asian countries have been in pursuit of soft power and public diplomacy strategy. This research hypothesizes that the nature of conflict in East Asia is identity-based, and East Asian states’ conflict resolution mechanism is to mediate threat perception so as to position its security status in a relational structure. This research uses Taiwan’s case to construct the theoretical relationship between identity and security as well as public diplomacy and conflict resolution. The research findings expand traditional security frameworks that emphasize material capabilities by recognizing identity as both a source of conflict and a pathway to resolution.

Yung Lin’s research project is funded by the scholarship award from Taiwan’s Ministry of Education.