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🇹🇼 Taiwan /Culture & Society

Local Drama Star Becomes Official Scholar! De Xin Earns Master's Degree After 5 Years, 'Happily Receives Lecture Fees'

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Outcome reported
  • Taiwanese actress De Xin (德馨) earned a master's degree after five years of study while balancing acting.
  • Her thesis focused on Taiwanese folk beliefs, involving extensive fieldwork and data analysis.
  • De Xin plans to publish her research and is considering pursuing a doctorate.

Taiwanese actress De Xin, known for her roles in popular television dramas, has achieved a significant academic milestone, earning a master's degree from Fu Jen Catholic University's Graduate Institute of Religious Studies after a dedicated five-year pursuit. The actress balanced her demanding acting career with her studies, a journey she described as "burning the candle at both ends."

Really crazy!

— De XinDescribing the intensity of her academic and acting schedule.

De Xin's master's thesis centered on Taiwanese folk beliefs, a topic that required over a year of intensive fieldwork. This involved regular trips to temples in southern Taiwan for research, followed by meticulous analysis of extensive transcripts and literature. She admitted the process was "really crazy," often rushing from filming locations to university classes and back to night shoots, with little time to spare.

Reflecting on her five-year academic endeavor, De Xin confessed she wasn't naturally inclined towards extensive study. She recalled the challenges of writing her thesis before the widespread availability of AI tools, necessitating the manual review and cross-referencing of countless academic sources. The process demanded absolute precision in every citation.

You can do it.

— De Xin's advisorEncouraging her to pursue a doctorate after completing her master's.

Upon successfully defending her thesis, De Xin expressed immense relief. Her research received high praise from her academic advisor, who deemed it highly valuable and encouraged her to consider publishing it as a book and pursuing a doctorate. Initially hesitant about further academic pursuits, De Xin stated she is now "a little bit convinced" to consider a Ph.D. program due to her advisor's persistent encouragement.

I am a little bit convinced!

— De XinResponding to her advisor's encouragement to pursue a Ph.D.

Her deep dive into Taiwanese folk religion has left her with what she calls an "occupational hazard": an innate tendency to analyze the cultural and research potential of unique temples she visits. Beyond potential publications and doctoral studies, De Xin also plans to launch a self-media platform to share her insights on belief culture more engagingly. Recently, she experienced the novel sensation of being invited as a speaker to a seminar, receiving an honorarium for her first lecture as a "scholar," an experience she found deeply rewarding.

It feels really different!

— De XinDescribing her feelings about lecturing for the first time as a scholar and receiving an honorarium.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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