Niki Joseph Paul Alsford FRAS FRAI FHEA FRGS is a British academic specializing in Taiwan studies and the wider Pacific.
Upon completing his bachelor's degree with honours at the University of Southampton, [1] Alsford pursued a master's degree at National Chengchi University in Taiwan, followed by a doctorate at SOAS, University of London. [2] He is a professor of Anthropology and Human Geography at the University of Central Lancashire. [3] Alsford was nominated a fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society in 2013, a fellow of the Higher Education Academy in 2017, and a fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland in 2019. [4]
Trained in social anthropology, Alsford's primary research focus centres on the study of Taiwan and the Pacific Islands. In particular, the study of Taiwan Indigenous peoples and the broader discussions on Austronesian migration and the maritime cultures of the Pacific. [5] [6] In 2024, Alsford was given the Ralph Brown Award for his work with the Haenyeo (women divers) of Jeju Island in South Korea. [7]
SOAS University of London is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury area of central London.
The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), often shortened to RGS, is a learned society and professional body for geography based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences, the society has 16,000 members, with its work reaching the public through publications, research groups and lectures.
Cape Eluanbi or Oluanpi, also known by other names, is the southernmost point on the island of Taiwan. It is located in Eluanbi Park within the Hengchun Township in Pingtung County.
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Eluanbi Lighthouse is a lighthouse located on Cape Eluanbi, the southernmost point of the main island of Taiwan, which separates Taiwan's South Bay from Banana Bay and the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea from the Philippine Sea. It is near Eluan Village in the township of Hengchun in Pingtung County, Taiwan. The lighthouse is open to the public all year around.
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Ann Patricia Bailey "Pat" Caplan, is a retired British anthropologist and academic. From 1989 to 2003, she was Professor of Social Anthropology at Goldsmiths College, University of London. She was also the Director of the Institute of Commonwealth Studies between 1998 and 2000.
Jeffrey Bruce Jacobs was an American-born Australian orientalist who specialized in Taiwan studies. He taught at La Trobe University before joining the faculty at Monash University as professor of Asian languages and studies, where he was granted emeritus status upon retirement. In Taiwan, he was known as Chia Po, a simplified transliteration of his surname, or by the nickname Big Beard.
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