How do ideas written more than two thousand years ago shape present-day military strategy? In this lecture, Prof. Ying-Yu Lin and Dr. Ying-Han Wu from the Graduate Institute of International Affairs and Strategic Studies at Tamkang University invite participants to look at the Taiwan Strait through both a historical and contemporary lens.
Lecture overview
The Taiwan Strait is often discussed in terms of current events and policy decisions. This lecture steps back and asks a broader question: how do long-standing strategic ideas shape the way military power is understood and used today?
Dr. Ying-Han Wu will introduce selected ideas from classical Chinese and Western strategic thought, offering context for how these traditions continue to inform the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) approach to regional affairs. Prof. Ying-Yu Lin will complement this philosophical inquiry with insights of his research related to the PLA, cybersecurity, and Taiwan’s national security environment.
By placing historical concepts alongside contemporary developments, the lecture offers an academic evaluation examining the transposition of classical principles into the contemporary context of gray-zone activities and asymmetric defense models.
Guest speakers
Lin Ying-Yu
Ph.D. / Associate Professor
LIN Ying-Yu is an Associate Professor at the Graduate Institute of International Affairs and Strategic Studies at Tamkang University in New Taipei City, Taiwan, and a Research Fellow at the Association of Strategic Foresight. His research focuses on People’s Liberation Army (PLA) studies and cybersecurity. From 2017 to 2025, he played a significant advisory role for Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense, contributing to critical defense-related initiatives such as the Quadrennial Defense Review and the National Defense Report.
Ying-Han Wu
Ph.D. / Assistant Professor
Ying-Han Wu is an Assistant Professor at the Graduate Institute of International Affairs and Strategic Studies, Tamkang University. His main research interests focus on Chinese and Western classical strategic thought and strategic culture.
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Welcome remarks
Marcin Jacoby, Ph.D. / Associate Professor, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities in Warsaw
Da-Jung Li, Ph.D., Professor and Director of Graduate Institute of International Affairs and Strategic Studies, Tamkang University
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Ancient Chinese Military Thought and Today’s Taiwan Strait: Strategies and Possible Scenarios
Lin Ying-Yu, Ph.D. / Associate Professor | Tamkang University
Ying-Han Wu, Ph.D. / Assistant Professor | Tamkang University
Moderator: Ting-Yu Lee, Ph.D. / Assistant Professor | SWPS University
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Q&A Session
Organizer
Date and location
March 17, 2026, 10:00–11:30 CET (UTC+1)
online
Contact
Ting-Yu Lee: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.