• 2015-11-30

NCL Director General, Shu-hsien Tseng and Professor Ian Young AO, Vice-Chancellor of Australian National University (ANU), signed a memorandum of cooperation on "Taiwan Resource Centre for Chinese Studies" (TRCCS) followed by the inauguration opening ceremony on November 30. This is the NCL’s first TRCCS in Australia and 17th TRCCS set up overseas.

ANU is one of the top 20 universities in the world. In 2014 Times Higher Education World University Rankings listed ANU as 7th in the world. ANU Library has over 2.5 million items, among which are over 40,000 ancient Chinese books and many rare ones, including Poems of the late Kang Youwei [relating to travel in the "South Sea"] in manuscript and Lord Lao's Eighty One Transformations, Illustrated. It also acquires modern images and manuscripts. In an effort to increase the use of library holdings and resources on Southeast Asia, in 1995 Australian National University began a project to digitize materials on Southeast Asia, creating the Asia-Pacific Digital Collections. This provides access to a portion of rare images and texts, making them convenient for researchers to search and use.

Last February when Director General Tseng was in Australia, she had already engaged in initial discussion with University Librarian Roxanne Missingham regarding collaborating on establishing a Taiwan Resource Center for Chinese Studies. She also had just signed an MOU on the Union Catalog of Chinese Rare Book database with the ANU and National Library of Australia. In April of this year, NCL have already uploaded 504 records from ANU of ancient books predating 1795. These are now available worldwide. Currently NCL’s databases contain over 648,000 bibliographic records. It is therefore evident that the choice of ANU to establish the TRCCS this year is a significant occasion to deepen our mutual relationship.

Australia and Taiwan have enjoyed a close collaboration on education. From 1989 to the end of 2014, a total of 107 universities in Taiwan signed cooperation and exchange agreements with 77 universities or academic departments in Australia. Of these, Australian National University has collaborative relationships with at least seven universities in Taiwan. From 2012 to present, Taiwan’s Ministry of Education and eight of the world’s top universities, including Australian National University, have established scholarships for our students in Taiwan to study their doctoral degrees.

In addition, from 1990 to the present, 29 scholars in Australia have received research grants from Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Center for Chinese Studies to conduct research on Chinese studies or Taiwan studies in Taiwan. Four of these twenty-nine scholars have come from Australian National University. Thus, ANU and Taiwan have enjoyed a long history of friendship and academic cooperation. National Central Library’s collaboration with Australian National University over the last two years has further solidified relations between the two countries and the wonderful interaction between ANU and Taiwan.

The NCL has not only donated many Chinese books published in Taiwan, but also provided the digital resources, including Taiwan digital archives and electronic databases, for the faculty, students, and researchers at the ANU. At the opening ceremony, Director General Tseng particularly donated a replica of The Annotated Poetry of Su Dongpo, a national treasure of the Republic of China that is more than 800 years old. The gift will certainly enrich the collections of ANU Library. It is also a witness to a historic moment of our mutual cooperation, opening up opportunities for future cooperation. ANU reciprocated the NCL gift with a photocopy of Lord Lao's Eighty One Transformations, Illustrated.

The establishment of the TRCCS at the ANU attracted a good number of people to participate in the opening ceremony. Among them are Ambassador Dr. David Lee of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Australia, Professors and library colleagues at the Australia National University, colleagues of National Library of Australia.

In her speech, NCL Director General Tseng pointed out that the ANU is a world-renowned academic institution. Its academic energy and capacity are very strong. They have a good number of scholars and experts in Chinese studies and many graduate students. She also mentioned in particular that the TRCCS will not only help expand academic exchanges, promote Chinese Studies with particular Taiwan characteristics, it is also a very important international window, through which more people can read good books published in Taiwan and access rich online materials for Chinese studies, showcasing Taiwan’s efforts and achievements in promoting Chinese studies.

Vice-Chancellor Ian Young AO expressed the fact that there are many transnational research results at the Australian National University (ANU). The establishment of the TRCCS indicates the possibility of more international Sinology and Taiwan studies. Representative Dr. David Lee pointed out the happy achievement- worthy of a celebration- of the first TRCCS established in Australia as well as its successful establishment in other countries. This present cooperation indicates further exchanges and cooperation between Taiwan and Australia. When University Librarian Roxanne Missingham of the ANU made her concluding remarks, she thanked the National Central Library for promoting this cooperation which has received praise and good reactions from many scholars of the ANU. She also pointed out the special symbolic meaning of the fact that TRCCS is set up in the ANU oldest Menzies Library. In the future, not only the University scholars can use these resources, researchers from all over Australia can also avail of the rich resources provided by this Center. Moreover, this center will build a strong scholarly relationship with lectures and other activities in the coming years.

Before the ceremony began, Representative David Lee of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Australia, accompanied by Director General Tseng, ANU University Librarian Roxanne Missingham, admire a replica of “The Annotated Poetry of Su Dong po”, a national treasure offered as a gift to the ANU Library.

Informal exchanges before the ceremony; Representative David Lee (1st from L), and Vice-Chancellor of ANU, Pro. Ian Young AO (2nd from L)

Clockwise: speeches by ANU University Librarian Roxanne Missingham, Vice-Chancellor Ian Young AO, NCL Director General Tseng, Dr. David

NCL Director General Tseng and Vice-Chancellor Ian Young AO sign the memorandum of cooperation on TRCCS

Director General Tseng offering a national treasure: a replica of The Annotated Poetry of Su Dong po and exchanging gifts with ANU Vice-Chancellor

ANU reciprocating the NCL gift with a photocopy of Lord Lao's Eighty One Transformations, Illustrated

University Librarian Roxanne Missingham presenting many precious books to the NCL as a gift; both have photos in front of the replica of The Annotated Poetry of Su Dong po

The first TRCCS in Australia is unveiled at ANU.

Refreshments after the Ceremony