all pictures © André Hengst

 "We used to think about Taiwan once or twice a year. Now, we have to think about it every day", a senior official at the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently told us. We couldn't agree more, which is why we launched the TOY Senior Fellowship on Taiwan in September 2023. We aimed to provide important context on cross-Strait relations as well as domestic politics as the island prepared for its presidential elections of January 2024.

We were lucky to have Dr. Simona Grano, a leading China and Taiwan specialist, serve as the inaugural TOY Senior Fellow, associated with Asia Society Switzerland and Asia Society Policy Institute's Center for China Analysis (CCA) in New York. The Fellowship was made possible with the generous support of Max and Monique Burger, Hong Kong & TOY family.

Throughout her Fellowship Dr. Grano provided insights and analysis on the run up to the Taiwanese presidential elections of January 13, 2024. Her research focused on both the domestic policy issues shaping the electoral contest as well as on the geopolitical dimension of the elections. Key publications authored by Dr. Grano during this period include "The 2024 Taiwanese Elections: A Primer," released in November 2023, which offered a comprehensive overview of the electoral process, and "The Geopolitical Implications of the Taiwanese Elections for China, the U.S., and the World," published in the aftermath of the January 2024 elections. 

Dr. Grano also provided analysis in two public webcasts organized by the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI): Taiwan Elections in 2024: Who is Running and What to Expect and Taiwan Elections: Rapid Reactions From Europe, Taipei, and Washington. Additionally, she participated in an Oxford Debate hosted by Asia Society Switzerland, spoke at Asia Society Switzerland's flagship conference STATE OF ASIA and was a guest on our STATE OF ASIA Podcast. She also spoke at two invite-only roundtables, and provided regular analysis to Corporate Members of Asia Society Switzerland.

Dr. Grano is regularly featured as an expert in both Swiss and international media. Press mentions in her role as TOY Senior Fellow can be found under Press.

At the end of February 2024, Simona Grano's Fellowship concludes. We are deeply grateful for her contribution, and look forward to continuing to work with her. We are also thankful to Max and Monique Burger for their support of the TOY Senior Fellowship and our overall work.

Dr. Simona Grano is inagural TOY Senior Fellow of Asia Society Switzerland and an Associate Professor at the University of Zurich, with a focus on Chinese and Taiwanese studies. Dr. Grano has held research positions and taught China Studies and Taiwan Studies at Ca' Foscari University of Venice in Italy, at the University of Zurich in Switzerland and at National Cheng'chi University in Taiwan. She is a research fellow of the European Research Center on Contemporary Taiwan (ERCCT) in Tübingen, Germany, and a research associate of SOAS, London. She regularly contributes to Swiss and global media through articles, commentaries and interviews and is often consulted by various Swiss governmental organs regarding the situation between China and Taiwan and Switzerland’s strategic options.

She is the author of Environmental Governance in Taiwan: a new generation of activists and stakeholders, published in 2015 by Routledge. Her articles have appeared in the Journal of Civil Society, Journal of Current Chinese Affairs, China Information, Asiatische Studien, Taiwan in Comparative Perspective, Orizzonte Cina and International Journal of Taiwan Studies. Her latest co-edited volume: China-US Competition: Impact on Small and Middle Powers' Strategic Choices, was published by Palgrave Macmillan in January 2023.
Simona Grano completed her Ph.D. in Chinese Studies at Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Italy in 2008.

About Asia Society Switzerland

Asia Society Switzerland is an independent Swiss non-profit organization dedicated to Asia. Our mission is to foster Asia Competence and prepare Switzerland for a deeper and more sustainable engagement with Asia.   

We are part of the global Asia Society network with 16 offices around the world, including 7 in Asia. Asia Society was founded in 1956 by John D. Rockefeller III. Our global network gives us unparalleled access to international speakers and experts on a broad range of Asia issues.   

Asia Society Switzerland was founded in 2016 and is financed entirely out of Switzerland. We have a dedicated team of 7 people in Zurich, ensuring that our programs are relevant and tailored to a Swiss audience.    

Asia Society Switzerland is committed to hosting the “board level conversations” on Asia: Our program offers a 360-degree view focused not just on business, but on big shifts and interdependencies. 

About the Center for China Analysis at Asia Society

Founded in 2022 as part of the Asia Society Policy Institute, the Center for China Analysis (CCA) is a global leader in unravelling China’s complexities to deliver independent policy-relevant analysis on China’s politics, economy, foreign policy, and society. 

Given the Policy Institute’s global presence and diverse expertise, the Center is uniquely positioned to provide in-depth research and analysis on key China-related developments of central importance to the future.

Employing an array of full-time staff and research fellows, the Center’s work covers five major pillars of analysis on China:

• Domestic Politics;  
• Economy and Technology; 
• Foreign Policy and National Security; 
• Climate, Energy, and Environment; and 
• Contemporary Chinese Society, Culture, Public Health, and Education. 

Presenting consistently independent and objective analysis with policy impact, the Center for China Analysis prioritizes Chinese language source material, emphasizes third-country analyses of China’s international engagement, and actively engages with counterpart institutions around the world.