From the Classroom to the Book Fair: Yuan Ze University Collaborated with Independent Publishers at the Taipei International Book Exhibition

The 2026 Taipei International Book Exhibition was held from February 3 to 7 at Exhibition Hall 1 of the Taipei World Trade Center, attracting a record‑high attendance of 580,000 visitors. Faculty members and students from Yuan Ze University continued to participate in this major annual publishing event with renewed creative energy.

Partnering with Milkyway Creative Thinking Publishing and the Independent Publishing Alliance, the University showcased the long‑term achievements of industry–academia collaboration and became a highlight of the exhibition.

Weijen Chen, a faculty member from the College of General Studies, Yuan Ze University, led six students in hands-on participation in booth planning and on-site operations. This arrangement allowed students to accumulate practical experience within a real publishing environment and to embody the educational philosophy of “learning by doing.” Under the theme of “Traveling Through Words,” the team hosted two new book launch events on a themed bus venue, demonstrating Yuan Ze University’s strengths in interdisciplinary cultivation of creative and publishing talent.

Among the featured works, Milkyway Creative Thinking Publishing released its first internationally licensed title, The Pandemic Unsettled. The author, Yemin Yin, an architect and creator residing in Europe, attended the book exhibition in person to hold a signing event and to express appreciation to the student production team. Presented in a hardcover graphic novel format, the book reflected on the impact of the pandemic on human civilization through courtroom debates among characters across time and space, combining intellectual depth with artistic expression.

In addition, Boyang, a poet and alumnus of the College of Management, Yuan Ze University, launched his new poetry collection Unrelated to the Sea. Designed as a minimalist white paperback, the work captured reflections on life after years of entering the urban workforce. The event featured a special dialogue with poet Shao Chen, also an alumnus of the College of Management. Titled “What Does the Sea Have to Do with It?”, the conversation unfolded with humor and depth and drew a full audience. The event illustrated an integrated achievement—from creation and publishing to marketing—entirely realized by Yuan Ze University talent, highlighting the University’s close ties with the reading and publishing industry chain.

Before the exhibition concluded, the “Reading Traffic Jam” booth once again received the Gold Award for Best Booth through a combined vote by audiences and experts, bringing significant recognition to the participating students. This year, the alliance adopted a Fixed Book Price (FBP) policy with no discounts on new titles. Driven by creative curation and diverse publishing content, overall sales increased by 53 percent compared to the previous year, reaching NTD 6.68 million, a new record high. These results reflected strong reader recognition of independent publishing and validated the market potential of cultural innovation models.

Since 2019 (except years affected by pandemic-related cancellations), Yuan Ze University has continuously participated in the Taipei International Book Exhibition. By integrating coursework with industry practice, the University cultivated publishing and cultural professionals equipped with both humanistic literacy and professional expertise, demonstrating its long‑term commitment to interdisciplinary teaching and engagement with the cultural and creative industries.