Taiwan Security Monitor: Research Project Turns into a Vital Communication Platform for a Threatened Part of the World

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A recent map created by Schar School students for the Taiwan Security Monitor: The research platform 'has evolved exponentially in ways I could not have possibly envisioned when I set off down this path,' said Michael Hunzeker.

Taiwan lacks its own cable repair vessels, meaning damage to underwater cables crucial to the island nation's international communications and internet connectivity can take six to eight weeks or more to repair. The lack of repair capabilities is a serious resilience risk and a dire national security concern for a county that is in the crosshairs of China.

That unsettling discovery was made by student researchers at the Taiwan Security Monitor(TSM), a student-driven online research initiative housed at the Schar School of Policy and Governmentat George Mason University.

Directed by founder Michael Hunzeker, a Schar School associate professor and associate director of the Center for Security Policy Studies, TSM functions with a staff of 18 undergraduate and graduate students who learn to use sophisticated mapping and analytic tools to produce research highlighting Taiwan's vulnerabilities and strengths.

Hunzeker said the web platform began in 2021 as "an informal research project to create an open-source intelligence map of the Indo-Pacific." The first iteration was created with the help of then-Master of International Securitystudent Sophia Lutzand several volunteer undergraduates.

The project "has evolved exponentially in ways I could not have possibly envisioned when I set off down this path," Hunzeker said.

Last year, with the help of the newly recruited researchers-including PhD, masters, and undergraduate students working collaboratively-TSM relaunched with a higher profile and a social media presence boasting some 10,000 followers on X alone.

"We have had at least two tweets with over a million views," Hunzeker said, an indication that the platform is being recognized-and taken seriously.

"Over the last few years, we've grown from a small team with limited scope to something that compares to think tanks in terms of insight and contributions to discourse on Taiwan," said Schar School senior Noah Reed, a government and international politicsmajor.

Reed, who is TSM's research director, has been with the project since coming to George Mason as a freshman. He was intrigued not only by the research but by the tools that the TSM employs.

TSM uses open-source intelligence (OSINT) to generate data, visualizations, maps, thematic case studies, and other resources for scholars and policy communities. Its updates on arms sales and deliveries, military movements, and maritime and air activity provide accessible information that supports public discourse and inform decision-makers charged with protecting the country from adversaries.

"We also provide tailored data and imagery analysis for private sector companies," Hunzeker added. "Our work and our researchers have been cited by the Wall Street Journal, Taiwan Plus, CNA/Focus Taiwan, Le Monde, Newsweek, Taiwan News and more."

"We've attracted some attention," said TSM research team lead Joe O'Connor. As a freshman, the international security and lawsenior discovered the opportunity to work with Hunzeker on the then-incipient TSM project through the Schar School's Undergraduate Research Assistant Program(URAP). URAP places students interested in learning research methods with faculty mentors who share the same interests.

Monitoring destroyers as they move through the Taiwan Strait and tracking arms sales backlogs for four to six hours a week has inspired O'Connor to pursue intelligence as a post-graduate career, perhaps, "in the public service, in the Pentagon, auditing, something in the policy-making field," he said.

Reed said TSM teaches its researchers a very unique set of skills not found elsewhere at George Mason.

"Not only do we learn and teach how to bridge the language barrier while doing research," he said, "but also we get hands-on experience with things like satellite imagery, geolocation, data visualization, and more.

"That helps in pretty much all your research outside of the project but also gives you experience to do anything, from open-source human rights and arms control verification to supply chain risk management."

Most of the TSM team is made up of volunteers, he said, while other receive a course credit as they acquire research skills.

"We do it because we enjoy the work and think we're positively contributing to the research environment on Taiwan's security," he added.

If any of this sounds interesting, said Reed, "and you have prior experience researching OSINT or Taiwan, you should consider applying to the project for the spring semester."

Noah Reed: 'Not only do we learn and teach how to bridge the language barrier while doing research, but also we get hands-on experience with things like satellite imagery, geolocation, data visualization, and more.'

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