Academia Sinica and National Taiwan University Join the Taipei Book Fair2019-08-20
Academia Sinica and National Taiwan University Join Forces at the Taipei Book Fair
Academia Sinica and National Taiwan University Press collaborated in hosting a joint book exhibition titled, “When Academics Converged in a Garden,” at the 2019 Taipei International Book Exhibition from February 12-17.
Both Academia Sinica and National Taiwan University were founded in 1928, and the two institutes of higher learning have long been the two pillars of academic research and teaching in Taiwan. The two institutes joined forces in at the TIBE to harness resources and share knowledge with the reading public. The joint exhibition also showcased Taiwan’s recent academic publications.
Addressing the opening ceremony of the exhibition, NTU President Chung-ming Kuan said that this joint venture between Academia Sinica and NTU Press represents the academia’s firm resolve to contribute to society in a positive way, to step out of the ivory tower and assume social responsibility. Knowledge can be transmitted in the form of high quality publications, enabling readers from home and abroad to appreciate recent academic research conducted by scholars in Taiwan.
Chin-hsing Huang, Vice President of Academia Sinica, remarked that it is difficult to maintain a university press in this day and age, due to the limited readership and market of academic publications. NTU Press, however, has managed to do quite well over the years, and has become an exemplary publisher of academic books. He mentioned that even though the various research institutes at Academia Sinica have endeavored to publish the fruits of their research, concerted effort is lacking. Through the NTU and Academia Sinica alliance, both institutes can create momentum in academic publishing here.
Tay-sheng Wang, Director of NTU Press, noted the long-standing collaboration between Academia Sinica and NTU Press, but added that by joining forces at the 2019 TIBE, greater synergy would be created, and readers could expect to have access to more titles. During the joint exhibition, more than 40 scholars and experts were invited to discuss a wide range of topics ranging from the biodiversity in the seas surrounding Taiwan to an examination of Taiwan’s laws during the period of Japanese occupation based on an analysis of historical Russian documents. NTU Press invited faculty members from the Department of Philosophy to revisit the development of philosophy in Taiwan from the Japanese occupation to the post-war period. Dr. Georg Northoff, a Canadian neuroscientist and philosopher, discussed the link between brain and self.
The joint exhibition provided a garden of knowledge that was aimed to encourage people to read for knowledge, and to find out what riches academic publications have to offer.