• 2022-01-22

On January 3, National Central Library once again overcomes the challenge of a raging pandemic in Europe to set up a Taiwan Resource Center for Chinese Studies at the Masaryk University (MU) in Czech. This is the 39th partnering institution worldwide. During discussions between NCL and MU, Representative Liang-ruey Ke from the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office in Prague personally made a visit to MU to understand conditions and developments there. Dr. Hung-wei Yen, head of the technology department, hosted a video conference for both parties to aid in communication. After six months of talks, on January 3 NCL Director-General Shu-hsien Tseng and Masaryk University Rector Martin Bareš successfully signing the collaboration agreement.

Director-General Tseng mentioned that TRCC program was started from 2012, and has adopted the principle of widely and evenly distribution on all continents of the world as well as in different countries. This NCL’s sustainable TRCCS program, with the practice that could realize sharing philosophy with high-efficiency service.

The Taiwan Resource Center for Chinese Studies was set up by NCL in MU’s College of Art Library and Chinese Studies Graduate Institute Library. The university was named after the first president of the former Czechoslovakia, President T. G. Masaryk. It was established in 1919, making it the second oldest university in the Czech Republic. It is located in the country’s second largest city, Brno, which British magazine Time Out rated as the second best location for a vacation in 2022. The university has a total of 32,800 students, of which 7,829 are master’s students and 2,685 are doctoral students (as of January 2022, according to Masaryk University’s website). In addition, it is one of three famed universities in Czech that have Chinese studies departments or graduate programs. MU also has an Asian Studies Center as part of its College of Art, which bears the important responsibility for Chinese studies, Taiwan studies, and language teaching.

Coordinating with the teaching and research in the Chinese studies department and graduate institute, MU library’s Chinese collection, which it adds to each year, is focused on Chinese literature,  language pedagogy, political thought, multiculturalism, religion, Chinese medicine, kungfu, movies, and Taiwan studies. MU’s Chinese studies department and graduate institute offer undergraduate and graduate level courses. Apart from teaching language courses, the teaching and research in many courses focus on modern China and approach Chinese culture through the lens of society, literature, politics, history, and thought. Following the rise of China and its increasing influence on Europe, a research discipline on modern China and Taiwan developed. This discipline focused on getting to know and understanding the political system that brought about the political and social changes in modern China and Taiwan, as well as the shift in political power and ideology. Another aspect is researching the social conflict that resulted from this shift.

Director-General Tseng explained that in 2011, the government began establishing Taiwan Academies overseas in an effort to promote Chinese culture with Taiwan characteristics to the world. Starting with Taiwan’s unique features and advantages, the government used its advanced information systems and digital technology to synthesize Chinese instructional materials and promote traditional characters, Taiwan research, and Chinese studies, and Taiwan’s multiculturalism. These aspects were important mediums for Taiwan’s culture to interact with the international community. Through working with NCL to set up a Taiwan Resource Center for Chinese Studies, in the future Masaryk University will be able to more easily acquire top quality Chinese books and journals published in Taiwan. These will greatly benefit researchers of the faculty, as well as lecturers and students in Brno in terms of Chinese literature, Taiwan studies and cross-cultural research and teaching.