(5 September 2016) The programme for the Leiden Asia Year in 2017 is now available. Rector Carel Stolker launched the new website at the opening of the Academic Year of Leiden University on 5 September 2016.
Throughout 2017 Leiden will be the leading centre for Asia in terms of research, teaching, collections and expertise. The website contains information about lectures, exhibitions and numerous other activities that are part of the Leiden Asia Year in 2017.
Leiden: a single Asian knowledge centre
Leiden University is the place where high-quality knowledge about Asia is brought together in teaching and research. The Leiden Asia Year 2017 was prompted by the building of the Asian Library on the roof of the University Library. The new library will be opened in September 2017. The Asian Library is a leading international expertise centre, where the University Libraries Leiden (UBL) assemble all the collections on Asia under one roof, and make all the data accessible for students, researchers and other interested parties.
Leading international Asia collection
The Asia collections in The Asian Library are internationally famous. The Indonesia collection, which also includes the collections from the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT) and the Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies (KITLV), is the largest of its kind worldwide. The Kern collection, that covers South Asia and the Himalayan region, is one of the biggest collections on this region in Europe. The Asian Library also holds the most extensive China collection in Europe. The Japan collection comprises a unique assembly of materials that were brought to the Netherlands by, for example, Von Siebold (1796-1866). The library also has a wide range of material on Korea, including North Korea. The collections contain rare and valuable manuscripts, books, maps, photos, prints and much more.
The news in full and a summary of Asian Library events planned for the opening of the Asian Library is here.
