Li Yuan: Government Should Maintain Cultural Diversity, Cultivate a Forest Rather Than a Single Tree

Minister of Culture Li Yuan was invited to speak at National Taiwan Normal University today, where he proposed the 'Cultural Forest' concept using biological systems thinking. He argued that the government's role is to maintain conditions for diversity and build a healthy industrial structure, rather than cultivating a single large tree, but rather nurturing an entire forest. As the Department of Life Science celebrates its 80th anniversary, Li (pen name: Hsiao Yeh), an alumnus, shared his career journey and views on cultural policy. Li believes that culture should not be managed or directed, but treated as an ecosystem that needs to be nurtured. With his background in biology, he is applying systems thinking to cultural policy. He emphasized that the focus of policy should be on talent development, platform building, expanding international markets, and introducing private investment to ensure a healthy industrial structure.