Taipei, Oct. 11 (CNA) If Taiwan is serious about connecting with the international community, it needs to pay attention to education, the media and the general mentality, foreign representatives said in an international symposium Thursday.
Representatives from Japan, Singapore and South Korea and foreign representatives stationed in Taiwan participated in the two-day symposium organized by the Research, Development and Evaluation Commission (RDEC) of the Executive Yuan to discuss "glocalization, " an invented term used to describe the tempering effects of local conditions on global pressures.
As globalization integrates economies and societies around the world, the process has been affected by each country with its own special character, said RDEC Minister Shih Nun-jeh.
Because of this, the government and people should "think internationally, act both internationally and locally" and create an English-friendly environment, Shih added.
Richard Vuylsteke, Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce, encouraged Taiwan to welcome immigrants rather than marginalize them. Taiwan's traditional teaching methods should be revised and the media should stop focusing on Taiwan alone, Vuylsteke also suggested in his presentation.
Singapore's approach to glocalization can be summed up with a simple "three pro's" -- pro-growth, pro-talent and pro-harmony -- said Raymond Tan, International Manpower Division Assistant Director of Singapore's Ministry of Manpower.
The keys are to create an investment-friendly environment, attract international talent and maintain cultural diversity and social harmony, Tan explained.
Promoting multiculturalism, which enhances "connectedness, " is essential in the development of glocalization as well as public education, because resistance to immigrants and other cultures can be expected, said Ron McIntyre, executive director of the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei.