Building Global Research Ties Through Young Visiting Scholar Program
Part 1
Nathaniel Tran, PhD, an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Public Health, recently traveled to Taiwan as part of the University Academic Alliance of Taiwan’s (UAAT) Young International Visiting Scholar Program. The initiative is a multi-institutional exchange between the University of Illinois system and Taiwanese universities that supports early-career faculty in building international research collaborations.
Tran, whose work examines how public policy shapes health outcomes for LGBTQ+ populations, used their time in Taiwan to explore the country’s approach to LGBTQ+ inclusion, particularly in the context of a single-payer healthcare system.
“I was really curious to see if there were health system changes to try and improve LGBTQ+ health,” they said, reflecting on Taiwan’s status as the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage. “Do [different systems] end up still converging in how they respond to this population, or are they meaningfully divergent?”
Their research found that Taiwan’s inclusion efforts are largely driven by social and civil sectors, unlike the U.S. which is driven by the health system. “It is not as high of a priority to address suicide prevention or substance use because LGBTQ+ disparities don’t show up in the same way,” Tran noted. Instead, the focus has been on ensuring equality in public-facing services, like removing gendered language from government forms.
Part 2
Tran’s time in Taiwan also deepened collaborative ties with local academics, including researchers working on the country’s first national LGBTQ+ health survey, which gathered responses from over 13,000 individuals. “The exchange is not just to do six weeks of research,” Tran explained. “It is to catalyze relationships to do research.” Tran hopes to participate in co-developing the second iteration of the national survey.
Their most lasting impact, however, came from the spirit of collaboration and mutual respect that defined the experience. “I was really struck by how generous people were with their time, showing me their communities, their research, their priorities,” they said. “Someone would say, ‘Have you been to this clinic? Let me take you.’ Or, ‘Come see how we’re making this subway stop more accessible.’ These moments reflect a deep commitment to inclusion and equity.”
Tran believes programs like UAAT are essential for strengthening global public health and academic research. “You don’t get better answers by shutting down the ability to ask and answer good questions,” they said. As a 2018 Fulbright research fellow to the University of Buenos Aires, Tran developed a lens for global health collaboration.
“Global health isn’t just about exporting ideas—it’s about the cross-pollination of perspectives. What works in one place might not work in another, and understanding why is how we grow stronger as researchers and as societies.”
For others considering the program, Tran offered clear encouragement. “If you’ve ever been curious, try it,” they said. “And let your project be shaped by your collaborators. That conversation is where good science happens.”