• 2022-01-04

Currently the longest running and most widely distributed international scholarly publication on research findings and research trends in Taiwan is the Newsletter for Research in Chinese Studies, which is soon turning a dignified 40! To thank the scholarly world for its long-term support, National Central Library held a Newsletter for Research in Chinese Studies and the Digital Transmission Age Workshop on December 29, 2021. Each contributing institution and experienced correspondent were presented with certificates of appreciation. As part of the event, arrangements were made for Prof. Chu-shan Chiang, the Dean of the Graduate Institute of History at National Central University to talk on scholarly dissemination in the digital age.

NCL Director-General Shu-hsien Tseng stated that National Central Library's Center for Chinese Studies (CCS) was established in 1981, making it 40 years since its inception. Newsletter for Research in Chinese Studies was started in January 1982 and was CCS's first publication. It is also the primary bridge by which communication happens with the academia. More importantly, it is the longest running humanities newsletter published in Taiwan. To date it has been going for 40, with a total of 160 issues. Publishing the Newsletter for Research in Chinese Studies is one of the most important tasks the Center for Chinese Studies has, as its publication web is spread over the entire globe. It has long been a well-known and influential periodical in the international Chinese studies community. The aim of the newsletter is to help scholars be on top of scholarly trends by publishing information on new research, and thus help bring about development in scholarly research. Content covers research, teaching, events, and information from in Taiwan and abroad. Over the last 40 years, it has received the support of universities and research institutes in Taiwan and abroad through a vast network of over one hundred correspondents. Also, starting in 2006, the Center for Chinese Studies continued to develop the E-Newsletter for Research in Chinese Studies; in 2018 it incorporated GIS to make the information more interactive. Also, it has begun using scholarly groups on Facebook to instantly spread information about scholarly publications. All of these efforts have resulted in the Chinese studies community worldwide valuing the publication. It is viewed as one of the most important publications in understanding trends in Taiwan and abroad in Chinese studies.

During the workshop, NCL expressed its heartfelt gratitude to those academic institutions and correspondents who have for many years provided valuable information to the Newsletter for Research in Chinese Studies. Certificate of appreciation called Scholarly Information Dissemination Institution Awards were given to 22 academic institutions and universities in Taiwan. Also, 20 information correspondents in various organizations were awarded the Scholarly Information Dissemination Individual Award. We hope that correspondents will continue to provide information in the future, not only for the benefit of the organizations for which they work but also as a record of scholarly development in Taiwan. Furthermore, through the Newsletter for Research in Chinese Studies the academic achievements in Taiwan will continue to be shared with the rest of the world. At the same time, this event also featured a lecture by Prof. Chu-shan Chiang, the Dean of the Graduate Institute of History at National Central University, who shared his experience on scholarly dissemination in the digital age.