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Report on CCS Activities
Taiwanese Philosophy and the Preservation of Confucian Tradition International Conference and Book Exhibition Held at the University of Ljubljana by NCL

In an effort to further international collaboration and to showcase Taiwan’s academic contribution in the fields of Confucian studies and philosophy, the National Central Library and the University of Ljubljana co-hosted the “Taiwanese Philosophy and the Preservation of Confucian Tradition” international conference from October 17–18 of this year (2019) at the University of Ljubljana. Huang Kuan-min, research fellow at the Institute of Chinese Literature and Philosophy, Academia Sinica, was invited as keynote speaker, expounding New Confucianism to the audience, and acting in official capacity, Tseng Shu-hsien, director general of the National Central Library, joined Taiwanese scholars and other participants at the conference. The conference was not only evidence of European academia’s continued engagement in Taiwanese Confucian tradition and philosophy, but also the first large-scale academic activity organized by Taiwan in the Balkan Peninsula, a profound milestone for those involved.           

Regarding the development of contemporary academia, both parties highlighted that although trends in Taiwanese philosophical thought have both preserved Chinese cultural tradition—particularly Confucianism—and established new philosophical methodologies and systems that have influenced theories and discourses concerning Asia as a whole, Taiwanese scholarship has largely yet to receive recognition for these contributions within Western academia. Therefore, more than 23 distinguished scholars from both Asia and Europe, including Bart Dessein, president of the European Association for Chinese Studies and professor at Ghent University, were invited to discuss the thought of Taiwanese philosophers as well as the contributions of and methodologies employed by Taiwanese scholarship. Huang Kuan-min’s keynote speech titled “Dissemination and Reterritorialization: Mou Zong-san, Tang Jun-yi, and Refreshment of Contemporary Confucian Philosophy” opened the conference.            

In addition, both institutions organized the “Taiwanese Philosophy and the Preservation of Confucian Tradition” book exhibition in concert with the conference. Well over 100 publications and volumes concerning related topics were exhibited to introduce the quality and breadth of Taiwanese research in the field, stopping all passersby in their tracks. During the opening ceremony of the conference, these works were presented to Zlatko Šabič, director general of the East Asian Resource Library (EARL) at the University of Ljubljana, which will assist in bolstering their collections, and will be publicly displayed at EARL beginning on October 21.
Book Presentation Ceremony  
Book Presentation Ceremony

Give each other gifts  
Give each other gifts

Director General Zlatko Šabič’s (EARL) Remarks  
Director General Zlatko Šabič’s (EARL) Remarks

Professor Jana Rošker’s Remarks  
Professor Jana Rošker’s Remarks

Opening Ceremony  
Opening Ceremony

Director General Tseng Shu-hsien’s (NCL) Remarks  
Director General Tseng Shu-hsien’s (NCL) Remarks

Director General Tseng Shu-hsien’s (NCL) Remarks  
Director General Tseng Shu-hsien’s (NCL) Remarks

Professor Huang Kuan-min’s Keynote Speech  
Professor Huang Kuan-min’s Keynote Speech

A Shot of the Conference  
A Shot of the Conference

A Shot of the Conference  
A Shot of the Conference

Professor Lai His-san Engaging in Discussion  
Professor Lai His-san Engaging in Discussion

Book Exhibition  
Book Exhibition

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