Since the establishment of the Master's Program of Austronesian Studies at National Taitung University in 2003, the academic environment for Austronesian studies in National Taitung University (NTTU) have matured a great deal and more teachers are available. In 2021, National Taitung University has been approved by the Ministry of Education in Taiwan for the establishment of the " Ph.D. Program of Austronesian Studies ", and will start to enroll students in 2022. This is the first all English doctoral program in Taiwan focusing on the studies of Austronesian culture. It emphasizes the study of Austronesian culture from both theoretical and practical perspectives.

In terms of cultural diversity, Taitung County ranks first in Taiwan. There are seven Austronesian speaking indigenous groups: Amis, Paiwan, Bunun, Rukai, Puyuma, Tao, and Kavalan. Not only having a rich traditional cultural diversity, it is also possible for researchers to have closer opportunities to observe how different ethnic groups tackle the contemporary issues, which shows strong vitality and lively creativity. The physical proximity and social connection between the College of Humanities and local Austronesian communities provide a valuable resource for Ph.D. students to learn, in context, of practical problems solving, and to apply theoretical knowledge to the innovative construction of Austronesian communities.

The Center of Austronesian Culture of National Taitung University was established in 2014, it has since actively engaging in academic and cultural exchanges with overseas Austronesian-speaking countries. In order to respond to the further academic needs of young scholars from these countries, this doctoral program will serve as an institutional mechanism to recruit graduate students from these countries. And on this basis, it will expand the link between the various educational resources of National Taitung University and these Austronesian speaking countries, so as to contribute to the building of Taitung University as a regional hub of international academic network.