Scott E. Simon

Scott E. Simon, Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Ottawa, is a leading scholar in Indigenous rights, Taiwan studies, and human-animal relations. As co-holder of the Research Chair in Taiwan Studies, he bridges policy-oriented research with deep ethnographic fieldwork in Taiwan, Japan, and Guam. His work at the Centre for International Policy Studies and Human Rights Research and Education Centre examines the intersection of Indigenous sovereignty, legal pluralism, and environmental justice in the Pacific Anthropocene.

• Education: Ph.D. and M.A. in Anthropology from McGill University; Post-doctoral Studies in Sociology at Academia Sinica, Taipei

His research explores:

• Indigenous legal systems (Gaya customs in Seediq-Truku communities)
• Decolonial movements (Taroko/Sediq autonomy struggles)
• Taiwan’s geopolitical status (under WHO exclusion)
• Animism and state law (spiritual rights in contemporary Taiwan)

Prioritized in publications and policy work, his 2025 Encyclopedia of Taiwan Studies represents a major contribution to the field.

Current Teaching:

• ANT4701 Formation pratique (Winter 2025)
• ANT3307 Contemporary Japanese Society (Fall 2024)
• ANT6101 Anthropology of the Political, Rights and Power (Fall 2024)