• 2022-08-12

On June 17^th, National Central Library held the “Dissertation Donation Ceremony Honoring Her Excellency Ambassador of Belize Candice Augusta Pitts.” Five ambassadors from allied countries and one embassy director were in attendance, including Her E. Ambassador Candice Augusta Pitts from Belize, Her E. Ambassador Jasmine Elise Huggins from Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis, Her E. Ambassador Andrea Clare Bowman from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, His E. Ambassador Robert K. Lewis from Saint Lucia, His E. Ambassador Roudy Stanley Penn from the Republic of Haiti, and Director Achilles Yeh, Embassy of the Kingdom of Eswatini, as well as Director-General Dr. Nicole Lee of the Department of International and Cross-strait Education, Ministry of Education, Deputy Director-General Ms. Shu-Jung Chen of the Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Executive Director Mr. Chia-Wen Yeh of the Central America Trade Office and other honored guests from within Taiwan as well as friends of the ambassadors.

In her opening speech, NCL Director-General Shu-hsien Tseng made a special introduction of Her E. Ambassador Candice Augusta Pitts’s experience: Dr. Pitts is the current ambassador and has previously worked as a university professor as well as a city councilwoman. She arrived in Taiwan to take up the role of ambassador on April 20^th 2021. Director-General Tseng also introduced that Dr. Pitts has written a book about the transformation of the print media in Belize, published two articles about nation building, and once regularly published articles in newspapers and periodicals, showing her concern for the nation and its society. In the just over a year since the ambassador has arrived in Taiwan, she has concerned herself with the studies and development of students from Belize as well as diverse cooperation between the two countries. During the pandemic, she organized the virtual event“The 1st Annual Belize Taiwan Academic Conference: Dialogues of Innovation and Ingenuity.” In addition, she paid a visit to indigenous communities in Pingtung County where she interacted with young indigenous students. Director-General Tseng expressed deep admiration and gratitude for the ambassador’s kindness and her efforts at promoting cultural and academic exchange.

After the dissertation donation, Her E. Ambassador Candice Augusta Pitts from Belize explained her reasons for donating her Ph.D dissertation to NCL. After a previous visit, she learned about the work NCL has done collecting and promoting student dissertations, and expressed her strong approval, therefore deciding to donate her own dissertation in order to take concrete action toward supporting NCL’s ideals. Dr. Pitts also gave a brief introduction to the contents of her Ph.D dissertation. The dissertation is titled “From Nationalism to Landscapism: Spaces-Between, Marronage, and the Literary I-mage-Nation of Zee Edgell (Belize), Jamaica Kincaid (Antigua and Barbuda), and Margaret Cezair-Thompson (Jamaica).” It expounds a reflection and critical discourse on so-called “states,” which are male-centered and subjugate women into various forms of disadvantage.

Her E. Ambassador Candice Augusta Pitts stated that it would be deeply meaningful to conduct comparative research on Taiwan’s indigenous women in literature and Belize women in literature as well as the historical development of the two. After the dissertation donation ceremony came to a close, the ambassadors and guests engaged in enthusiastic discussion. At the end of the event, NCL Director-General Tseng and colleagues led the ambassadors and other honored guests to visit NCL’s current exhibit “Exploring and Reading France @NCL- Books and Special Collections Exhibition.” The ambassadors and honored guests showed great interest in the exhibit and the day’s events came to a close amidst an atmosphere of elated friendly exchange.