• 2011-09-06

NCL Director-general Tseng Shu-hsien visited Russia from August 28 to September 5, accompanied by three library directors. They visited libraries, as well as many famous Chinese studies institutes and strengthen ties with them. On August 29 they visited the Moscow State University’s Institute of Asian and African Studies, which is one of the main places Russian sinologists are trained. From August 31 to September 2 they saw the Institute of Far Eastern Studies and the Institute of Oriental Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences, as well as the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts located in St. Petersburg. Each institute has different areas of emphasis, yet they all have long histories, exquisite collections, and talented scholars. NCL has enjoyed a publication exchange with these institutes for some time, and many researchers there have come to Taiwan on grants from the Center for Chinese Studies. As such, NCL’s representatives were favored with cordial hospitality. During the trip, NCL continuously emphasized the different grants available to scholars and invited those interested to come to Taiwan for research or study. The greatest benefit from the trip was the cooperative agreement that NCL signed with the Institute of Oriental Studies at the Russian Academy of Science. Both parties are looking forward to closer interactions and exchanges. The other institutes all expressed a desire to work together with NCL and chances are likely that after this opportunity to meet in person many great cultural exchanges will take place between the two countries.