“In the paper Role of Education in Taiwan’s Economic Development: Lessons for South Africa a brief account of Taiwan’s education systems under the Japanese occupation, and in the period between 1945-2000 is given. Educational reforms are described, as well as the changes that Taiwan will have to make to the education system to meet the requirements of membership of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The last part of the paper suggests the lessons South Africa could derive from the Taiwanese experience in transforming its own education system to bring about rapid socio-economic development. The aim of Sustainable export performance: Lessons for South Africa from Taiwan is to analyse areas where Taiwan’s trade policy could assist in improving South Africa’s export performance. It also identifies common challenges for South Africa and Taiwan relating to international trade. South Africa still faces many of the development challenges already successfully overcome in Taiwan. Perhaps the most pressing need in South Africa is that for job creation. Taiwan’s successful development of an SME sector is frequently mentioned in the literature on East Asia’s development experience. Although Taiwan’s achievement can be attributed to special circumstances peculiar to the island’s historical, cultural and developmental experiences, it is possible to sift out which aspects are unique to Taiwan, and which aspects can be replicated in other countries. This paper titled Rather the head of a chicken than the tail of a bull attempts to extract these lessons.”
