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Abstract Objective: This article describes the implementation plan, advance and future directions of the academic and educational research center eLISE (e-Learning Integrated STEM Education Center) whose foundation intends to narrow the collaboration between Taiwan and Vietnam in e-Learning and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) in the framework of the New Southbound Policy4, a long-term project announced by the Taiwanese government to strengthen the partnership with South Asian countries. Originality / contribution: This article contributes to the reflection about the promotion of international cooperation in innovation, scientific and technological research as well as the analysis of public policies guided towards e-Learning and STEM innovation. Method/ strategies: The stages of the research and innovation process were (1) Innovation e-Learning and STEM Instruction teaching material and module: test application, teacher workshops and interviews (2) Innovation e-Learning and STEM assessment through CloudClassRoom observation with Gamified Electronic Audio Response System and Google Bert. Conclusions: The description of the implementation of eLISE, the explanation of the development of innovative curriculums and teacher workshops, as well as the talent exchange and the cooperation between industry and academy, highlights the importance of cultivate talents and workforces educated through STEM and e-Learning, seeking regional development and prosperity for both, Taiwan and Vietnam.

Nous décrivons dans cet article les caractéristiques spécifiques de la plus grande usine mondialisée – en termes de nombre d'employés – appartenant au groupe taiwanais Foxconn à Shenzen en Chine. Nous montrons que le fonctionnement de l'usine s'est articulé autour de trois éléments clés : (1) la globalisation interne ; (2) la fragmentation organisationnelle, le fractionnement vertical des business groups ( bg ) et la segmentation horizontale des employés appartenant à différentes nationalités ; (3) le despotisme sur le lieu de travail. Ces trois éléments nous conduisent à qualifier le fonctionnement de l'usine de « despotisme fragmenté mondialisé ». La structure organisationnelle de l'usine mondialisée est particulièrement utile pour expliquer les terribles conditions de travail en vigueur chez Foxconn et les suicides de travailleurs qui ont eu lieu en 2010.

A wedding is a part of a series of ceremonies and image construction events designed to create the ideal. Bridal photographs no longer show newlyweds and their families in rigid poses. Diverse wedding costumes, modeling, and visual consumption aesthetics can overwhelm the newlyweds
as they become the critical focal point in a strategy of product differentiation. Instead, personalized and entertaining visual consumption has become very popular. In this study the consumers of bridal photography and bridal salons are the target population; we probe the aesthetic values
on which are based the evolution of traditional female stereotypes and male-female power structures. Results indicate that female role portrayal is based not only on standard social and cultural perspectives, but also on self-image. Women take the leading role in bridal photographs, signalling
their independence in playing the bride role, but also showing the value of self-reward as a marketing tool. Consumption in modern bridal photography is based on self-image realization and the collectively shared culture of the new bride.

Medical crowdfunding in social media is growing to be a convenient, accessible, and secure manner to cover medical expenses. It differs from traditional donation initiatives and medical crowdfunding on non-social media platforms in that projects are disseminated via social media network and among acquaintances. Through semi-structured in-depth interviews on donation behaviors of 52 respondents, this study uses grounded theory to extract seven main categories that affect medical crowdfunding donation behavior in social media, namely interpersonal relationship, reciprocity of helping, attitude toward donation, perceived behavior control, perceived trust, project information, and characteristics of patients. In the spirit of Elaboration Likelihood Model, we develop a theoretical framework that the seven factors influence donation behavior in medical crowdfunding in social media via a central and a peripheral route.

Cultural competence is a continuously developing process that requires transition-to-practice program training to enable new graduate nurses (NGNs) to transfer their knowledge and skills to clinical practice in a culturally sensitive manner. The development and implementation of residency programs, including a cultural competence curriculum, could support this transition. This study aimed to evaluate the preliminary effects of a hybrid learning module of cultural competence for NGNs. A quasi-experimental design was used in a 3,000-bed hospital in North Taiwan. We randomly allocated 37 NGNs to the experimental and control groups. The Cultural Competence Scale for Pre-Graduate Students to Licensed Professionals (CS-SP) was adopted to measure cultural competence before and after the intervention. We evaluated the correlations between learning time and cultural competence scores using a paired t-test, chi-square test, and Mann–Whitney test for statistical analysis. The curriculum for the learning application comprised three courses covering six topics. The experimental group scored significantly higher in awareness and skills after the intervention ( p < .05), but there was no significant improvement in knowledge or self-efficacy. The control group showed no significant differences in any of the cultural competence subscale scores after intervention. The Mann–Whitney test showed that different learning times led to significant differences in the mean cultural competence scores ( Z = 3.04, p < .05). Integrating cultural competency education into web-based NGNs' postgraduate year of nursing programs improved their cultural competence awareness and skills. The learning application can be adapted to target NGNs at different stages of the postgraduate year of nursing programs to maximize its benefits.

Recently, Taiwan's higher education has been impacted by COVID-19 and the necessity of English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI). In 2018, the Taiwanese government approved a roadmap for the development of a bilingual nation by 2030. This resulted in a renewed focus on EMI. However, the fluctuating surges of COVID-19 have caused university classes to shift from face-to-face to online. To assess its effectiveness, the current paper describes the quantitative and qualitative experiences and challenges associated with a blended EMI course within a private Taiwanese university. The data was collected from the students in the spring semester of 2020 (40 students) and 2021 (23 students). Overall satisfaction rate is calculated at 4.13; indicating that the transition from face-to-face to online has not affected the students' overall satisfaction with the course. In addition, interviews and focus groups respondents pointed out the importance of a student-centered course approach and the opportunity to practice English in order to improve their competitiveness. While the flexibility offered by the blended learning approach during COVID-19 has given students more freedom to learn at their own pace. Lastly, in times of uncertainty, a careful pedagogical design will help to make the learning process fruitful and sustainable.

Purpose
This paper aims to examine the effect of ownership structure and board gender diversity on charitable donations for a group of listed electronics companies in Taiwan.


Design/methodology/approach
Using linear regression analysis, this paper analyses the ownership structure, board gender diversity and charitable donations of 380 Taiwanese electronics companies (2011-2013).


Findings
While domestic institutional investors, such as domestic mutual funds and corporate investors, take more of agency logic view, it negatively impacts on charitable donations. However, the empirical findings of this paper indicate that board gender diversity with the critical number of female directors was positively related to charitable donation. Thus, it is clear that female directors reaching critical numbers were taking more of a stakeholder view of institutional logic, emphasizing the balance of interests of internal and external stakeholders.


Research limitations/implications
This paper is limited to selected Taiwanese electronics companies over a two-year time frame, and charitable donations are the only proxy of corporate social responsibility (CSR) activity. The paper suggests that, as predicted by stakeholder theory and critical mass theory, companies with boards composed of at least three female directors make higher charitable donations.


Practical implications
This paper indicates that female directors on the board should have more voices on the board regarding the necessity and importance of CSR.


Originality/value
The paper contributes to existing literature by looking into the effects of ownership structure and board gender diversity on charitable donations.