J. Bruce Jacobs Explained

J. Bruce Jacobs
Birth Date:19 September 1943
Death Place:Melbourne, Australia
Birth Name:Jeffrey Bruce Jacobs
Education:Columbia University
Discipline:Asian studies
Sub Discipline:Taiwan studies
Workplaces:Monash University

Jeffrey Bruce Jacobs (19 September 1943 – 24 November 2019) was an American-born Australian orientalist who specialized in Taiwan studies. He taught at La Trobe University before joining the faculty at Monash University as professor of Asian languages and studies, where he was granted emeritus status upon retirement. In Taiwan, he was known as Chia Po, a simplified transliteration of his surname, or by the nickname Big Beard .

Life and career

J. Bruce Jacobs was born on 19 September 1943[1] in the United States,[2] and educated at Columbia University, where he earned bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees.[3] While completing master's-level coursework, Jacobs spent 1965 and 1966 in Taiwan, with the History Research Institute of National Taiwan University.[2] Jacobs finished his master's degree in 1970. He returned to Taiwan between 1971 and 1973, during his doctoral study, which he completed in 1975. In 1976, Jacobs was named a lecturer at La Trobe University.[2] In 1980, Jacobs was detained for three months, and falsely accused of involvement in the stabbing death of Lin Yi-hsiung's mother, as well as the murder of twin daughters born to Lin and Fang Su-min. In its coverage of the murders, the United Daily News became the first publication to refer to Jacobs as "Big Beard."[4] Following his departure from Taiwan in May 1980,[5] Jacobs was barred by the Kuomintang government from entering Taiwan until 1992.[6] [7]

In the early 1990s, Jacobs was appointed to the Australia-China Council.[6] He began teaching at Monash University in 1991,[6] and was granted emeritus status upon retirement in 2014.[2] [3] Jacobs received the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon from the government of the Republic of China in November 2018,[6] [7] and was named a member of the Order of Australia in the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours.[8] Jacobs was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2017,[9] and died in Melbourne on 24 November 2019, aged 76.[2]

Publications

Several opinion pieces written by Jacobs were published in the Taipei Times. While writing for that publication, he argued that a paradigm shift was necessary in Taiwanese politics and diplomatic efforts, while comparing the one-China policy to the flat Earth model.[10] Jacobs also opined on the teaching of Taiwanese history,[11] the Senkaku Islands dispute, territorial disputes in the South China Sea,[12] [13] and Cross-Strait as well as foreign relations of Taiwan.[14] [15] In 2013, Jacobs argued for Taiwan's status as a middle power.[16] He was a signatory or sole author of several open letters appearing in the Taipei Times, which discussed a wide array of topics relating to politics in Taiwan.[17] Such letters were specifically addressed to Taiwanese politicians Wang Ching-feng,[18] Ma Ying-jeou,[19] and generally to Taiwanese people,[20] as well as Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau[21] and Qantas chief executive officer Alan Joyce.[22] Jacobs regularly penned electoral analyses for the Taipei Times, including in 2004,[23] 2005,[24] 2008's presidential[25] [26] and legislative election,[27] 2010,[28] 2014,[29] 2016,[30] and 2018.[31]

In written and spoken commentary, Jacobs was critical of Su Chi,[32] [33] as well as the presidency of Chen Shui-bian.[34] He also discussed the loss of Taiwan-centric publications Taiwan Communique and Thinking Taiwan, which both ceased publication in 2016.[35] In Lee Teng-hui and the Idea of Taiwan Jacobs and I-hao Ben Liu discussed Lee Teng-hui's contribution to Taiwan's democratization, Taiwanization, and Taiwanese nationalism.[36] [37] Jacobs wrote a number of books about Taiwan, which included Local Politics in Rural Taiwan under Dictatorship and Democracy (2008),[38] Democratizing Taiwan (2012),[39] The Kaohsiung Incident in Taiwan and Memoirs of a Foreign Big Beard (2016),[40] and Changing Taiwanese Identities (2018, edited with Peter Kang).[41]

List of publications

Recent Leadership and Political Trends in Taiwan. J. Bruce Jacobs. The China Quarterly. 45. 1971. 45. 129–54. 10.1017/S0305741000010468. 651887. 154747588 .

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Emeritus Prof Bruce Jacobs AM . The Age Tributes . The Age . 1 December 2019.
  2. News: Baker . Diane . Taiwan specialist Bruce Jacobs dies in Melbourne . 27 November 2019 . Taipei Times . 25 November 2019.
  3. News: Bruce Jacobs . 27 November 2019 . Monash University.
  4. News: Han Cheung . Taiwan in Time: Remembering the 'Big Beard' . 3 December 2019 . Taipei Times . 1 December 2019.
  5. News: Jacobs . Bruce . Murder probe reveals nothing new . 28 November 2019 . Taipei Times . 13 September 2009.
  6. News: Shih . Hsiu-chuan . Australian professor decorated for lifelong contribution to Taiwan . 27 November 2019 . Central News Agency . 16 November 2018.
  7. News: Strong . Matthew . Australian academic who played part in darkest days of Taiwan history decorated . 27 November 2019 . Taiwan News . 16 November 2018.
  8. News: Queen's Birthday 2019 Honours: The full list . 27 November 2019 . Sydney Morning Herald . 9 June 2019.
  9. News: Shih . Hsiu-chuan . Hundreds gather to meet Australian 'greatest lover of Taiwan' . 3 February 2020 . Central News Agency . 13 November 2018.
  10. News: Jacobs . Bruce . Paradigm shift needed on Taiwan . 27 November 2019 . Taipei Times . 16 November 2018.
  11. News: Jacobs . Bruce . Describing Taiwan's real history . 28 November 2019 . Taipei Times . 9 February 2007.
  12. News: Jacobs . Bruce . China's territorial claims are weak . 28 November 2019 . Taipei Times . 26 July 2014.
  13. News: Jacobs . Bruce . Tsai government must fix errors . 28 November 2019 . Taipei Times . 4 August 2016.
  14. News: Jacobs . Bruce . China lives down to expectations . 28 November 2019 . Taipei Times . 1 February 2005.
  15. News: Jacobs . Bruce . Spending money where it matters . 28 November 2019 . Taipei Times . 14 May 2008.
  16. News: Cole . J. Michael . Think again, mister — Taiwan isn't actually 'small' . 27 November 2019 . Taipei Times . 17 July 2013.
  17. News: Open letter on erosion of justice in Taiwan . 27 November 2019 . Taipei Times . 6 November 2008.
  18. News: Eroding justice: Open letter No. 2 . 27 November 2019 . Taipei Times . 2 December 2008.
  19. News: Open letter to Taiwan's president . 27 November 2019 . Taipei Times . 21 May 2009.
  20. News: Open letter to democratic Taiwan . 27 November 2019 . Taipei Times . 9 January 2019.
  21. News: An open letter to the Canadian PM . 27 November 2019 . Taipei Times . 30 January 2019.
  22. News: Jacobs . Bruce . Open letter to Qantas CEO Joyce . 27 November 2019 . Taipei Times . 15 June 2018.
  23. News: Jacobs . Bruce . Chen victorious is Taiwan's gain . 28 November 2019 . Taipei Times . 23 March 2004.
  24. News: Jacobs . Bruce . DPP's loss highlights urgent need for reform . 28 November 2019 . Taipei Times . 6 December 2005.
  25. News: Jacobs . Bruce . President Ma must reform the KMT . 28 November 2019 . Taipei Times . 10 September 2008.
  26. News: Jacobs . Bruce . Some suggestions for Ma Ying-jeou . 28 November 2019 . Taipei Times . 24 March 2008.
  27. News: Jacobs . Bruce . Can the DPP overcome a drubbing? . 28 November 2019 . Taipei Times . 14 January 2008.
  28. News: Jacobs . Bruce . Election pointers for the future . 28 November 2019 . Taipei Times . 30 November 2010.
  29. News: Jacobs . Bruce . Analyzing the massive KMT defeat . 28 November 2019 . Taipei Times . 2 December 2014.
  30. News: Jacobs . Bruce . What a difference four years makes . 28 November 2019 . Taipei Times . 18 January 2016.
  31. News: Jacobs . Bruce . Analyzing the DPP election debacle . 28 November 2019 . Taipei Times . 26 November 2018.
  32. News: Jacobs . Bruce . Su Chi's resignation long overdue . 28 November 2019 . Taipei Times . 24 February 2010.
  33. News: Cole . J. Michael . ANALYSIS: In beef debacle, Su Chi emerges as main villain . 27 November 2019 . Taipei Times . 9 January 2010.
  34. News: Jacobs . Bruce . Taiwan's legal system and Chen . 28 November 2019 . Taipei Times . 4 September 2009.
  35. News: Han Cheung . Losing voices . 27 November 2019 . Taipei Times . 9 June 2016.
  36. Jacobs . J. Bruce . Liu . I-hao Ben . Lee Teng-hui and the Idea of "Taiwan" . The China Quarterly . June 2007 . 375–393 . 190 . 190 . 10.1017/S0305741007001245 . 20192775 . 154384016 .
  37. News: Cole . J. Michael . ANALYSIS : Ma 'error' throws Taiwan back two decades . 27 November 2019 . Taipei Times . 26 February 2010.
  38. Schak . David . Local Politics in Rural Taiwan under Dictatorship and Democracy, by J. Bruce Jacobs. Norwalk: East Bridge, 2008. xx + 350 pp. US$29.95 (paper-back). . The China Journal . January 2013 . 69 . 212–214 . 10.1086/668958.
  39. Reviews of Democratizing Taiwan include:
    • Seymour . James D. . Democratizing Taiwan by J. Bruce Jacobs (review) . China Review . 2013 . 13 . 1 . 165–167 .
    • Sullivan . Jonathan . Democratizing Taiwan, by J. Bruce Jacobs. Leiden: Brill, 2012. xiv + 305 pp. €75.00/US$103.00 (hardcover). . The China Journal . July 2013 . 70 . 292–294 . 10.1086/671322.
    • Phillips . Steven . Democratizing Taiwan by J. Bruce Jacobs (review) . China Review International . 2012 . 19 . 4 . 605–607 . 10.1353/cri.2012.0104.
  40. Reviews of The Kaohsiung Incident in Taiwan and Memoirs of a Foreign Big Beard include:
    • Niki Alsford . Alsford . Niki J. P. . The Kaohsiung Incident in Taiwan and Memoirs of a Foreign Big Beard, written by J. Bruce Jacobs . International Journal of Taiwan Studies . 20 February 2018 . 1 . 1 . 238–240 . 10.1163/24688800-00101016.
    • Arrigo . Linda Gail . Linda Arrigo . The Kaohsiung Incident in Taiwan and Memoirs of a Foreign Big Beard, by J. Bruce Jacobs. Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2016. viii+178 pp. €82.00/US$98.00 (cloth, eBook). . The China Journal . January 2018 . 79 . 203–207 . 10.1086/694820.
    • Wright . David Curtis . The Kaohsiung Incident in Taiwan and Memoirs of a Foreign Big Beard J. Bruce Jacobs Leiden: Brill, 2016 xi + 178 pp. $41.42 ISBN 978-90-04-31601-0 . The China Quarterly . September 2018 . 235 . 907–909 . 10.1017/S0305741018001145. 158651355 .
  41. Reviews of Changing Taiwanese Identities include:

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