University of Tartu researchers can now access sinology materials and databases

The University of Tartu and the National Central Library of Taiwan entered into a cooperation agreement for the promotion of materials and databases on sinology, i.e. Chinese language, culture, literature and history. The cooperation agreement aiming to strengthen mutual educational and cultural relations was signed by Rector of the University of Tartu Toomas Asser and Director of the Library Krista Aru, and the Director-General of National Central Library Shu-hsien Tseng.

The National Central Library of Taiwan has established the Taiwan Resource Centre for Chinese Studies, an international cooperation project aiming to promote sinology books published in Taiwan, and other materials. Resource centres have been established at 34 internationally recognised universities, including, for example, the University of Oxford, Leiden University, the University of Tokyo, the Australian National University and the University of Toronto.

Now also the University of Tartu staff and students and all other visitors of the library have access to scientific literature on sinology. From now on, the new books and periodicals in Chinese will belong to the collection of the University of Tartu Library. The database can be found in the list of databases of the University of Tartu library under the name Sinica Sinoweb.

According to Mart Tšernjuk who coordinated the signing of the cooperation agreement on behalf of the University of Tartu, also access to interesting digital materials will be provided. “The agreement is an important and much-needed step for the University of Tartu researchers of Chinese studies, and for orientalists more generally. It is pleasant that we can now have so much thematic literature on site here in Estonia,” said Tšernjuk.

For more information about the Taiwan Resource Centre for Chinese Studies, see the video.