2026-9-16
Wu Hsi-deh and Victor Louzon were presented with the 2026 Taiwan-France Cultural Award Sept. 14 in Paris for their work to expand exchanges between the two countries.
According to the Ministry of Culture, the presentation ceremony was held at the Institut de France. More than 100 representatives from the two sides’ academic, art, cultural and political communities were in attendance, including Taiwan’s Minister of Culture Li Yuan and Jean-David Levitte, president of the institute’s Academy of Moral and Political Sciences.
Inspired by the famous words of France’s first culture minister, André Malraux, Li said art is the shortest path from Taiwan to the world. He added that freedom is a value it shares with the global community.
The award enables the two countries to move closer through arts, knowledge and the humanities, he said, adding that the government of Taiwan is committed to providing a free and democratic cultural landscape where individuals can exercise their creativity to its fullest potential.
Levitte said over the past 30 years, the award has continuously promoted cultural exchanges between France and Taiwan. He commended the two winning scholars for achievements in their respective fields and contributions that highlight the deep and lasting bond between Taiwan and France, as well as Taiwan and the whole of Europe.
In his acceptance speech, Wu, a professor emeritus in the Department of French at Tamkang University in New Taipei City who studied in Paris more than 40 years ago, said the award is not only a personal achievement but also a salute to the friendship between Taiwan and France.
Louzon, an assistant professor of history at Sorbonne University, said he realized that the history of Taiwan should not become a bargaining chip between major powers through his research on the transformation of Taiwan’s political power. He commended the Taiwanese people for continuing to reflect on their own identities even as more and more people are drawn to the surface stability of authoritarian regimes.
