2019年第一次工作会议纪要

DRAFT MINUTES

FIRST WORKING SESSION of

5 MoW KNOWLEDGE CENTERS

 

Aug. 7, 2019

Suzhou, China

 

 

Present:

Prof. Dr. Lothar Jordan,	Chair of the Sub-Committee on Education and Research of the International Advisory Committee, UNESCO's Memory of the World Programme
Ms. Wang Hongmin,	Director of International Cooperation Department, National Archives Administration of China (NAAC)
Prof. Dr. Zhang Bin,	President of the School of Information Resource Management of Renmin University of China, Memory of the World Knowledge Center-Beijing
Ms. Wang Jian,	Professor of the School of Information Resource Management of Renmin University of China, Memory of the World Knowledge Center-Beijing
Ms. Jia Xiaoshuang,	Lecturer of the School of Information Resource Management of Renmin University of China
Mr. Sangho Lee,	Chief of the Documentary Heritage Center of the Korean Studies Institute (Andong); Responsible for the Korean Memory of the World Knowledge Center
Mr. Bo Seung Kang,	Official of the Korean Studies Institute; Staff of the Korean Memory of the World Knowledge Center
Dr. Helen H.K. Ieong,	President of Macao Documentation and Information Society; Director of the MOW Knowledge Centre-Macau
Mr. Qian Bin,	Deputy Secretary-General of Suzhou Municipal Party Committee, Director General of Suzhou Archives Bureau, and Curator of Suzhou Archives
Mr. Bu Jianmin,	Deputy Curator of Suzhou Archives; Deputy Director of the MOW Knowledge Center-Suzhou
Ms. Wu Fang,	Deputy Director of Suzhou Industrial and Commercial Archives Administration, Memory of the World Knowledge Center-Suzhou
Ms. Chen Xin,	Director Assistant of Suzhou Industrial and Commercial Archives Administration, Memory of the World Knowledge Center-Suzhou
Mr. Yan Zisen,	Division Director, Fujian Provincial Archives; Representative of the MOW Knowledge Center-Fujian
Ms. Li Wendong,	Deputy Director of International Cooperation Department, National Archives Administration of China (NAAC)
Ms. Zhang Jin,	International Cooperation Department, National Archives Administration of China (NAAC)

 

1. Note of welcome

1.1 Mr. Lothar Jordan thanked the Beijing and Suzhou Centers for their arrangements to host the meeting and for their generous support to the development of MoW program.  

1.2 Mr. Zhang Bin, Director of the Memory of the World Knowledge Center-Beijing, and Mr. Bu Jianmin, Deputy Director of the Memory of the World Knowledge Center-Suzhou welcomed all the participants.

2. Annual Report from the Knowledge Centers

2.1 MoW Knowledge Centre-Macau (Reported by Ms. Helen Ieong. The full report is attached in Appendix 1)   

2.2 MoW Knowledge Center-Beijing (Reported by Ms. Wang Jian. The full report is attached in Appendix 2)

2.3 Korean MoW Knowledge Center (Reported by Mr. Bo Seung Kang. The full report is attached in Appendix 3)

2.4 MoW Knowledge Center-Fujian (Reported by Mr. Yan Zisen. The full report is attached in Appendix 4)

2.5 MoW Knowledge Center-Suzhou (Reported by Mr. Bu Jianmin. The full report is attached in Appendix 5)

 

3. Discussion about the future cooperation

Mr. Jordan expressed his thanks to the host and pointed out that the agenda of this meeting was based on the plan of each center last year, although the sub-committee is always on the side for help but it needs each center to move forward.

The 5 centers also discussed  the future cooperation. Mr. Jordan pointed out that the plans should be concrete proposals for the coming time instead of a long time plan. The collection work of each center may be based on local level and targeted more to local audience, the collection should be integrated together with the work of website and database.

3.1 Websites

Ms. Wang Jian from the Beijing center said that although they had a basic website structure,   the biggest problem is lack of data related toinscribed items of the registers. Few institutions with inscribed items agree to share their information. Ms. Wang Hongmin said that the Chinese National Committee of MOW would be in the position of collecting the information. Then she suggested that in the future the Chinese National Committee of MOW would ask for the permission of publicizing photos and information related with the register in the Nomination form. Also Ms. Wang asked the centers to provide all the guidance and regulations which they are trying to post on the websites to the Chinese National Committee of MOW beforehand for reviewing. But they are free to post the content of their research  without permission. Mr. Jordan suggested that the center should think more from international view, to introduce more information about the registers (such as the significance, size, etc.), to publicize the articles (or the list of articles) on the seminar and news of each center both in English and local language on the website to win more international researchers. Mr. Jordan also suggested that all 5 centers may design their websites in a similar way, so the users could find easier to access.

The Korean center explained that  they have only one MoW Knowledge Center in Korea,  which has to cover 16 instituitions that hold registered documents. They were planning to establish a database for 16 registered items at once.. Since  15 of these 16 institutions have created their own websites, they only needed to link these websites together. As a national MoW Knowledge Center of Korea, although translation from Korean to English is important, they had to focus more on Korean. They could serve more detailed information to the Korean audience, but for an international audience simple information is more suitable. At the same time, if other centers decided to create the website in a similar way, they agreed to follow the structure.

The Beijing Knowledge Center asked the Korean Center for the permission of posting the Korean registers on Beijing Knowledge Center website. The Korean Knowledge Center agreed to provide a book about all 16 Korean registers which was in Korean language and needed to be translated into Chinese by Beijing Knowledge Centre.

The meeting appointed the Beijing Knowledge Center to serve as coordinator for developing the structure of website first, so nobody need to rearrange the website. Ms. Wang Hongmin asked the Beijing Knowledge Center to write an application to the National Archives Administration of China for administration approval. After approval, the NAAC would be able to help providing the information, so other centers don’t need to overlap the content. The Beijing Knowledge Center agreed to write the application or help NAAC to build their the website. They could put all things in common for the website. Mr. Jordan reminded that the website should be open for new things in the future instead a fixed one.

 

3.2 Collections, database

Mr. Jordan said each center should have budget to stock items they collected or public electric editions. They couldn’t wait for receiving books as gifts. Maybe your ministries, administrations could help you if you have a big project. Collections included other national literature related with MoW.

The Macau center asked whether the centers were free for increasing the collections or following the plan of subcommittee. Another subject was whether the database of MoW or Intangible Heritage could be shared with centers, so they could have some substance in their collection. Of course they would also do some purchase. Mr. Jordan said that there are a lot of international publications, like the General Guidelines and newsletter on the UNESCO website, these were free, then centers could buy some. The storage would benefit from the long term collection plan. For the future it would be better if we agree to make more electronic publications or catalogues, articles on websites.

 

3.3 Exhibitions

With regard to the exhibition, Mr. Yan Zisen from Fujian centre hoped to hold an exhibition show with the content of MoW Registers, not only Qiaopi exhibition but included all other MoW Registers.

The Fujian centre was also willing to exchange publications with other centers. Mr. Jordan encouraged the centers to find partners, not only within MoW field but also from other fields. But it is important to share the information with the subcommittee or other countries in the world, for example, posting the information on the website, etc. Ms. Wang Hongmin suggested that it would be helpful to make a cooperation plan in the beginning of the year, at least among Chinese centers.

 

3.4 Academic lectures, seminars, master’s degree dissertation

Mr. Jordan said that centers should publish a list of some academic lectures, seminars, master’s or PhD degree dissertation for the near future. It is very important for the academic world. People might be interested in MoW or single register of other country, so they could participate in these above activities by various ways.  

 

3.5 Meetings of Secretariat

The meeting agreed to hold the joint working meeting once a year. A seminar will be held together with the working meeting. Fujian Knowledge Center offered to host the 2^nd working meeting in Fuzhou next year.

 

3.6 Joint publications

Mr. Jordan suggested the centers to publish a newsletter with high quality papers or articles for academic purpose. It is an joint publication, and could use the logo of subcommittee. If the centers hold an joint exhibition, they could publish the catalogues at the newsletter. The newsletter should be a small book with simple title in English, including activities of centers in two or three years. The newsletter should be in English to be visible to the world. It could be printed or electronically.

 

3.7 How can we help other countries to establish centers

There are several other countries are interested in what the centers are doing, like Australia, Mexico, Vietnam, Senegal, etc. If centers could invite one or two guests who are interested in creating MoW centers to attend their activities, it will be helpful.

4. Suzhou Consensus on the MOW centers

Mr. Lothar thought it is a good idea to have Suzhou Consensus, and he added one sentence at the end of the consensus, the knowledge centers could explore possibilities to help creating further centers in other countries. To explore possibilities do not mean you should provide money, centers may think of other ways to help.

Also Mr. Jordan suggested to add the basic target of UNESCO in the front of the consensus, to make it clear that it is a new structure and support to UNESCO targets, ‘to contribute to peace and security by promoting collaboration among the nations through education, science and culture in order to further universal respect for justice, for the rule of law and for the human rights and fundamental freedoms which are affirmed for the peoples of the world, without distinction of race, sex, language or religion, by the Charter of the United Nations.

Suzhou center agreed to modify the text and bring it to the next meeting in Fuzhou for discussion.