Dr. Tseng Shu-hsien, Director-General of the National Central Library opened the first Taiwan Resource Centre for Chinese Studies in Belgium at Ghent University (UGent) on December 11, 2015. Over 30 people attended the official unveiling ceremony, including Mr. Tung Kuo-yu, Representative at the Taipei Representative Office in the EU & Belgium, Professor Marc Boone, Dean of the Faculty of Literature and Philosophy, Professor Bart Dessein, Head of the Sinology Department, Professor Ann Heirman, Head of the Center for Buddhist Studies, Ms. Saskia Scheltjens, Head faculty Librarian, and several Sinology students and students from Taiwan.

The Taiwan Resource Center for Chinese Studies at UGent is the 9th such center in Europe and the 18th worldwide. UGent’s Sinology Department has a longstanding relationship with Taiwan. It is one of two Sinology departments in Belgium and is best known as an international authority on Buddhist Studies. The Center for Buddhist Studies was established at UGent in 2007 through collaboration with, among others, Taiwan institutions such as the Dharma Drum Institute of Liberal Arts. Professor Dessein and Professor Heirman both expressed what an honor it was to have this Taiwan Resource Center for Chinese Studies at UGent and their appreciation of the 251 books, and other valuable resources donated by Taiwan’s National Central Library, among them a Buddhist Sutra.

Mr. Tung Kuo-yu praised UGent for its worldwide reputation and expressed his belief that the new Taiwan Resource Center for Chinese Studies will help enhance the ties between Taiwan and Belgium. UGent is an important partner for academic networking and exchanges between Europe and Taiwan. The opening of its new Taiwan Resource Center for Chinese Studies follows the setting up of one at Leiden University last year and the further development of Taiwan Studies in the Benelux region seems very promising.

Photo:Dr. Tseng Shu-hsien, Director-General of the National Central Library and Professor Marc Boone, Dean of the Faculty of Literature and Philosophy signing the MOU establishing the new Taiwan Resource Center for Chinese Studies.