Indepth Articles
[Nov. 09, 2007]
Book Presentation Ceremony
With support from the Nippon Foundation, the Japan Science Society is promoting a project under which Japanese educational and research books are donated by businesses, universities, and publishers, and then given to Chinese universities.
On September 8, a presentation ceremony was held at Guizhou University in Guizhou, China (President: Chen Shuping), to which the Japan Science Society has donated more than 160,000 books. On the same day, the university opened its Japanese literature center. The Japan Science Society has already donated some 1.75 million books to 24 universities throughout China, and plans to continue promoting cultural exchange efforts involving the two nations.
At the presentation ceremony, Japan Science Society Chair Oshima and Guizhou University President Chen exchanged letters announcing and accepting the donation. Takeju Ogata, President of the Nippon Foundation, joined Long Dang, the university's committee secretary in a tape-cutting ceremony at the opening ceremony for the Japanese literature center.
A selection of donated books
In response to requests from the Chinese Ministry of Education, the western regional government, and other entities, the Japan Science Society has since 2005 donated a total of 166,333 books to Guizhou University. The university's collection of Japanese-language volumes is now one of the largest in China. Of this collection, some 97,000 titles were donated from the library of the Tokyo Metropolitan College, closed when it was consolidated with Tokyo Metropolitan University. The donated books span several decades and many fields, like astronomy, geography, biology, science, literature, and social studies. (Photo: Japanese volumes from a range of disciplines)
"Please use these 160,000 Japanese volumes as you see fit," advised President Ogata of The Nippon Foundation, addressing some 200 students at the presentation ceremony. "I hope each of you will deepen your knowledge and understanding of Japan and will visit Japan to help build a relationship of trust between our two countries."
"We'll need to study more to read and understand these books," said one student who helped organize the collection. "If we can't read them, they won’t help us advance."
It is hoped that such highly motivated Chinese university students will put these books to good use, and that these young people will help strengthen the ties between Japan and China.