The Graduate Institute of International Affairs and Strategic Studies, Tamkang University, hosted the "National College and University Diplomacy and National Security Decision-Making Simulation Camp 2025— The Indo-Pacific Situation after the Inauguration of the New U.S. Government," held from January 17 to 18 at the Ching-Sheng International Conference Hall. The event was attended by Dean Cheng-Hao Pao of the College of International Affairs, Director Chung-Ni Lu of the Comprehensive Planning Department of the Mainland Affairs Council, and Minister Counselor Chi-Chung Chen of the Department of Policy Planning, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In addition to the faculty and students at our Institute of Strategic Studies, students from 13 colleges and universities—including NCCU, NTU, Cheng Kung, Yangming Chiao Tung, and others—joined, with over one hundred participants in total.

During his speech, Director Da-Jung Li of the Graduate Institute of International Affairs and Strategic Studies explained that the simulation camp was first held in 2015 and has been expanded into the "Diplomacy and National Security Decision-Making Simulation Camp" since 2021. The event followed its traditional format by dividing the participants into 6 groups representing Taiwan, Mainland China, the United States, Japan, India, and Russia. During two days, through special lectures, roundtable forums, group discussions, oral presentations, wargame simulations, and teacher feedback sessions, "the camp enabled the participants, in the face of rapidly changing international situations, to learn to think quickly and make correct decisions based on the principle of maximizing national interests, thereby gaining an in-depth understanding of international issues and experiencing the process of diplomatic and national security decision-making."

A "wargame simulation" session was arranged during the event, focusing on the international situation in 2025 following the inauguration of the new U.S. President Trump. The participants, based on the roles selected for their respective groups, simulated the decision-making processes of various countries during peacetime, in gray zones, and in quasi-war periods. In the simulation, the groups exhibited competitive relationships, needing to consider national interests and stances and to combine military power and international relations in formulating national security policies and taking corresponding actions. The participants not only faced the challenges of diplomatic negotiations with other countries, but also had to properly address domestic issues, thereby demonstrating creativity and strategic thinking in the simulated scenario and gaining an in-depth understanding of the complexity and pressure of international decision-making.

In the latter part of the event, an international press conference was simulated, in which each group sent representative members to assume the roles of national leaders or ministers and share the decision-making processes and outcomes from the wargame simulation; the Institute’s instructors then acted as news reporters, questioning the representatives of each country. The overall level of the simulation was extremely high, with the participants demonstrating the demeanor of outstanding national leaders and fully exhibiting their strong analytical and decision-making abilities. At the end of the event, the Excellent Group Award was presented to the first-place "United States Group," and outstanding participants from each group were awarded certificates and prizes, leaving the participants with unforgettable camp memories.

Everyone expressed various opinions on the content and experience of the simulation camp. Participant Hao Chen from Accounting stated, "Although the activity sounded interesting, in reality it was extremely challenging, especially having to devise strategies within a limited time, which made me experience the tension of international decision-making." Participant Yu-Wei Shan, a junior from Educational Technology shared that he played the role of Trump in the simulation and found it quite challenging, especially during negotiations with other groups, where differences in concepts or information could affect the outcome; however, he still appreciated the learning experience gained from the activity and is considering applying for the Institute of Strategic Studies in the future. Instructor Yen-Ting Wu, a first-year master's student at the Institute of Strategic Studies, said, "I think the team members were able to quickly integrate into the scenario and complete the tasks with excellent teamwork, demonstrating outstanding team decision-making abilities." Assistant Professor Hsiao-Chen Lin from the Institute of Strategic Studies also praised the participants for their performance under a bilingual environment and time pressure, believing that they completed the challenge exceptionally well and demonstrated remarkable talent.

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