Critiques the idea of a Chinese cultural identity and argues that such identities are instead determined by geopolitical and economic forces. Forget Chineseness provides a critical interpretation of not only discourses of Chinese identity—Chineseness—but also of how they have reflected differences between “Chinese” societies, such as in Hong Kong, Taiwan, People’s Republic of China, Singapore, and communities overseas. Allen Chun asserts that while identity does have meaning in cultural, representational terms, it is more importantly a product of its embeddedness in specific entanglements of modernity, colonialism, nation-state formation, and globalization. By articulating these processes underlying institutional practices in relation to public mindsets, it is possible to explain various epistemic moments that form the basis for their sociopolitical transformation. From a broader perspective, this should have salient ramifications for prevailing discussions of identity politics. The concept of identity has not only been predicated on flawed notions of ethnicity and culture in the social sciences but it has also been acutely exacerbated by polarizing assumptions that drive our understanding of identity politics.

From the rise of chemical technology in antiquity to the present day, Igniting the Chemical Ring of Fire tracks the development of professional chemistry communities in the countries of the Pacific Rim. Critical in this process was the development of local education and training in chemistry. The doctorate in chemistry is generally regarded as coming into existence in early 19th century Germany, with the model spreading globally as time passed. In early years it was common for international chemistry scholars to train at the ranking German or English universities before returning to their home countries to seed a local version of the doctorate. However, little has been formally written about this process outside of Europe.Representing a first in the field for countries of the Pacific Rim, this book documents the detailed history of chemical communities in ten countries from a team of internationally renowned historians. Providing insights into how and when these countries initiated local chemistry PhD programs and became independent chemical entities, Igniting the Chemical Ring of Fire shows that there is no single path to development.

Case study of the brain drain of Chinese university graduates and scientists, revealing some of the economic, professional and sociological aspects of the decision to stay in the USA or to return to Taiwan (Taiwan, China) - comprises a statistical analysis of the research results of two 1969 questionnaire surveys, covers attitudes toward immigration and study abroad, includes demographic aspects and statistical data on emigrants and on 127 returned scholars, and gives government policy implications. Bibliography pp. 184 to 186, references and statistical tables.