Meeting with the Director of Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures, Hamburg University (German Republic)

At the meeting, Prof. Michael Friedrich said the Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures (CSMC) is implementing the Cluster "Understanding Written Artefacts" under the framework of Excellence Initiative program launched by the German Research Foundation. This cluster focuses on studying the production, storage, circulation, and analysis of manuscripts and inscriptions especially in Africa and Asia, based on which to understand the impact of written artefacts on shaping societies and cultures. 

In Vietnam, Prof.Michael Friedrich has visited the National Archives Center I and examined the Nguyen Dynasty's Imperial Records - World Documentary Heritage to discuss cooperation on preserving written archives. To extend the network of experts in written documents in Vietnam, CSMC would like to cooperate with higher education institutions such as USSH in common research projects. 

On behalf of USSH, Assoc.Prof.Dr Hoang Anh Tuan gave thanks to Prof.Michael Friedrich for putting his trust in USSH. The Vice Rector suggested further discussions of specific tasks with USSH's relevant units such as Faculty of Archival Studies and Office Management, Faculty of History and Faculty of Information and Library. At first, as suggested by Assoc.Prof.Dr Dao Duc Thuan (Dean of Faculty of Archival Studies and Office Management), the Faculty and CSMC can begin a pilot project on archives and manuscripts at local areas such as villages, communes and households in Vietnam. In the future, the parties can extend cooperation to other areas such as digital archives and the digitalization of records.

Prof. Michael Friedrich is a professor of Sinology at Asia-Africa Institute, Hamburg University and a visiting lecturer at Fudan University, Shanghai. At CSMC, he has been instructing research fellows studying bamboo manuscripts in Qin and Han Dynasties' China, manuscripts from Dun Huang in China and Nguyen Dynasty's Imperial Records in Vietnam.