• 2014-12-11

National Central Library(NCL)’s Director-general Tseng Shu-hsien and University Librarian Furuta Motoo of the University of Tokyo library system sign a cooperative memorandum on December 10 to establish a Taiwan Resource Center for Chinese Studies (TRCCS), as well as hold an opening ceremony. Deputy Chief Hsu Juei-hu of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan, Professor Ishii Yojiro(University of Tokyo’s Head of the College of Arts and Sciences), University Librarian Sakai Tetsuya of the Komaba Library, Professor Kawashima Shin, and other Japanese sinological institutes and sinologists are in attendance to witness this historic moment.

At the beginning of the ceremony, Director-general Tseng especially speaks Japanese to thank the University of Tokyo and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan for their support and assistance, as well as others’ concerted effort and cooperation to prepare for this new resource center and help us open a new page in the history of promoting Chinese studies overseas. Additionally, she thanks all the honored guests for attending the ceremony.

Director-general Tseng also stated that each year, NCL selects top books, periodicals, audiovisual materials, and e-resources in Taiwan to donate to the TRCCS. In 2013-2014, a total of 5,264 types of publications (totaling 7,020 volumes) were given to the 11 centers. This is not only beneficial in broadening academic exchange, but also in allowing more people to access great publications from Taiwan and abundant e-resources on Chinese studies. This is a great way to show Taiwan’s achievements in promoting Chinese studies. In fact, Oxford University has recently contacted our Library and expressed interest setting up a TRCCS there next year. This shows that our efforts are effective in increasing Taiwan’s international visibility and influence in Chinese studies. The establishing of this TRCCS here at the University of Tokyo is a definite win-win situation for both parties.

During University Librarian Furuta’s remarks, he is very thankful that NCL and the University of Tokyo could work together to establish this TRCCS. In so doing, the amount of scholarly exchange between the two countries will greatly increase. Deputy Chief Hsu also expressed his congratulations on and support of the establishment of the TRCCS. He believes that an abundance of Chinese studies resources from Taiwan will infuse the University of Tokyo’s libraries with added research energy.

During the opening ceremony, Director-general Tseng donated replicas of The Annotated Poetry of Su Dongpo, a national treasure of the Republic of China that is more than 800 years old, and The Diamond Sutra which is the earliest wood block print book with dual color in the world.

Those will be valuable resources for researchers of Buddhist thought here in Japan. It is hoped that these donations will add to the University of Tokyo library system’s collection, serve as a witness to this historic moment in collaboration between the two libraries, and pave the way for further cooperative endeavors in the future.

To celebrate the establishment of the TRCCS, the University of Tokyo set up an academic conference. Presentations were given by NCL and the University of Tokyo. NCL primarily reports on the individual resources that come with TRCCS. They also exchange experience and ideas with members of the audience. The opening ceremony is a great show of intense interaction when it comes to an end. Afterward the University of Tokyo provides a tour of their main library for the attendees of the opening ceremony and shows off their amazing special collections.