Albert Wei-min Tang, Ph.D.

Probing Culture via Language, Literature, Media, Arts, Education and Creative Industries

Albert Tang, a Fu Jen Catholic University alumnus and Associate Professor in Media and Cultural Studies, has been teaching professional English, Cultural Studies, popular media and visual Communication in his alma mater for over a decade.

After Albert obtained his undergraduate degree in English Language and Literature (drama par excellence), He then pursued his postgraduate study in visual media and critical theory. Upon finishing a master thesis on "Semiotic/ Ideological/ Textual Analysis of TV Commercials", he went to serve in the army for two years. He later continued his doctoral research in comparative literature, focusing on issues in the field of Chinese Cinema(s) and (inter-)Cultural Studies, and Taiwan Literature.

Language: Multiple Lingua Franca

As a connecting bridge for cultural exchange, Albert has briefly worked for several translation agencies (translator and interpreter), China News (aka Taiwan News, journalist and editor), and Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival Executive Committee (chief receptionist, chief editor for special TGHFF annual album, coordinator of cross-strait affairs), before he obtained a teaching position in Fu Jen.

Besides listening, speaking, reading and reading, Albert keeps improving his command of English proficiency through translation and interpretation (plus performance, reception). Since his graduate study era, he has translated several critical western publications, relevantly theoretical ideas and new disciplinary ideas, into Chinese. As coordinator and conference organizer, Albert also edited several conference anthologies. His translation contributes significantly in the field of media and Cultural Studies in the post-Martial Law epoch. For example, one of his book (Cultural Studies: Interviews with Stuart Hall, by Meta-publishing Co.) has won top 10 best book Prize awarded by China Times Book Prize in 1998.

In addition to English, Albert has learned Deutsch (German) for some years, first in Deutsch Kultur Zentrum (now Goethe Institute), and later in Fu Jen campus. Albert also audited one-year Latin course given by a German Vater in sophomore year, and took one-year French (reading and conversation) in senior year. He is lucky to either participate in or take lead roles in several dramatic presentations in his college life. He then received more intensive and strict training in oral communication, body movement, and audience persuasion. Intriguingly, Albert's mother tongue "should" be Fukien (Taiwanese), but thanks to the language policy in his childhood, he didn't have acceptable command of his native language until he served the army. He also listened to Hakka radio programs for many years before he found himself partly biologically "Hakka" in 2000 (mother side), and very likely owned "Hakka" identity in 2007 (father side).

Travel: Beyond 10 Hundreds Miles

Albert has traveled to some countries in this "McLuhanian" global village. He has been to various tribal communities, such as UK (London3, Stratford-on-Avon, Oxford2, Bath, Bradford, Bedford, Durham, Leeds etc), Holland (Amsterdam 3, Rotterdam, Hague, Leiden, Nimegen), West Germany (Hamburg, West Berlin, Koln, Stuttgart, Munich), Germany (Koeln, Frankfurt3, Berlin3, Potsdam, Heidelberg2, Karlsruhe, Berlin, Stuttgart, Tuebingen), Czech (Brno, Prague), Luxemberg, Belgium (Brussels 2, Liege), France (Paris 4, Lille, Nante, Anger), Austria (Wien4 aka Vienna, Linz2, Salzburg2), Ireland (Dublin), Italy (Rome, Florence), Vatican (the Holy See), Greece (Athens), Jordan (Anman), Bahrain (Persian Gulf), Tailand (Bangkok), Hong Kong, Macau, PRC (Beijing 10+, Shanghai 10+, Congqing, Chendu, Xichan, Kunming, Guanchou, Canton, Tienjin 2, Hanchou, Chende, Xian) , USA (LA, Austin, NYC, DC, Baltimore, Boston, San Francisco, Chicago, Memphis, St.Louis, Kansas City), Canada (Toronto, Ontario, Montreal), Australia (Sydney, Brisbane), Guam, Malaysia(Kuala Lumpur, JB), Thailand (Bangkok2) , Singapore 8, Japan (Fukuka, Tokyo) 2. He believes that walking for over 10 miles is more useful than reading 10 thousands volumes. He usually attends international conferences abroad and sometimes undergoes research trips to special archives.

Research: Critical Creativity

Albert likes to combine his research interest with his teaching. He has offered courses like Chinese Cinema(s), Popular Music, New Media Arts, Literary Media and Cultural Studies, Media Research Methods and Communication Theories. Currently, as Executive Director for the Preparatory Office of International College at Fu Jen, he is involved in coordinating a new master program in the field of Taiwan Studies which aims at attracting more foreign students to pursue higher education degree in Fu Jen, and better their understanding about Taiwan in the context of Greater China and Asian region. He has been awarded Excellence Teaching Award(FJU), Creative Teaching Award(FJU), Fu Jen Research Award(FJU), Father Chang Se-heng Academic Award (Fr. CSH Foundation, 2000 and 2003), Senior Teaching Award (MOE)

Service: Student-based, Alma Mater-feedback

Albert has served as Chair of Mass Communication Department, SOCE, Chief of Academic Section, SOCE, Chief of Curriculum Section, Office of Academic Affairs, and director of Academic Exchange Center, Deputy-director of European Union Centre at Fu Jen. He also serves as Deputy-Secretary-General of UMAP Taiwan since January 2011. He has worked as project coordinator for "English Corner" under the Excellence Teaching Program, MOE. He helped produced, among other intensive and provoking training programs, Penalty of Piety, a unique English radio documentary of the Beginning of Fu Jen Catholic University in 1925. He is also the founding Secretary-in-chief of Cultural Studies Association (Taiwan) from 1999-2000.

He has given presentations about Higher Education in Taiwan in many international workshops, conference, forums, and educational exhibitions. Among them, he attended APAIE 2(2010, 2011), NAFSA(2010, 2011), EAIE(2011), QSAPPLE(2010, 2011), JAFSA(2010), FICHET(10+), etc. He was invited to be the round table discussant for NATSA 2010, and participated in EATS (2010, 2011) as well as EATS graduate student workshop 2010 in Brno, Czech. He also lectures in SOAS Taiwan Studies Summer School (July 2011).

Collection and Hobby

Albert likes seeing thought-provoking, idea-stimulating films, be it features or documentary. Currently he owns over 1000 copies, domestic and abroad, including some rarely found productions. Besides, he has a personal library which houses over 6,000 books ranging from English, Chinese (both traditional and simplified), Francaise, Deutsch, to Japanese publications. He not only bought books through on-line bookstores, like Amazon, ABE, Kongfz, etc., but also visiting used bookstore regularly for historic documents. You can take a look at Chinese Cinema(s) and Cultural Studies, his Virtual Library. He is still updating his archive and will extend his collection in the future.