Photograph (click to expand)
Program of the International Symposium (in Japanese only)

Tokyo University of Foreign Studies 21st Century COE Program - Centre for Documentation & Area-Transcultural Studies (C-DATS) sponsored a two-day international symposium on "The Current State of Asian and African Historical Documentation and Trans-Cultural Research" on December 16 and 17, 2006. This symposium was an overview of the current project, slated for completion next March, and guest presenters were invited from our collaborative partners in Myanmar, Mongolia, Turkey, Indonesia, and Bangladesh to present progress reports. (The report on Morocco was by submission only and presented by a proxy.) All five sessions were filled with lively debate and exchanges, making the two-day symposium a very fruitful event.

Ever since 2002, this Centre has worked towards "the non-exploiotative repository and sharing information" through collaborations with research institutes, libraries, and public record offices of various Asian countries with the view of collecting and preserving precious historical documentation. Specifically, the Center makes microfilms and digital copies of the historical documents and tabulates them in a catalogue. At the same time, all such activities are published on the Web. In addition, the Centre has endeavored to hold workshops and seminars on site. Our guest presenters from abroad are all from various partner institutions who understand our objectives and share our goals through collaborations.

Each session spoke of the purpose of this collaboration and future outlook with input from various commentators. There was lively debate and exchange on how the achieved work can be linked to future projects. It should be noted that the symposium was attended not only by researchers, but also by such guardians of historical documents and information distributors as librarians and archivists, and it served as a platform for them to present reports as well. In Session 5, the importance and impact of collaboration with not just researchers, but also with archivists and historical document restoration specialists was reconfirmed, while the project managers had the opportunity to share their challenges and outlook on the future, making it the perfect closing session for the whole symposium. (Conference papers are published in the Journal Issue No.9.)

Photograph (click to expand)

Report by Prof. Masami ARAI (Professor of Faculty of Foreign Studies at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies)

On Monday, November 27, 2006, at the Bogazici University of Istanbul - one of the collaborative institutions of the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies - a Young Researchers' Symposium was held under the title: "The Front Line of Middle East Research and Multi-Cultural Research in Japan." It was an event co-sponsored with the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies "Middle East Islam Research and Education Project." Originally, the symposium had been planned to be held at the Middle East Research Institute of Japan in Beirut - one of the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies' overseas institutions - but due to the attack on Lebanon by Israeli forces, we were forced to relocate the symposium at short notice to Istanbul.

Despite the short preparation period and notice, we were fortunate to welcome to the event six established scholars as commentators, making it a very fruitful event. All the commentators are internationally acclaimed research specialists in their respective fields, and just having them all together in the same room was an achievement in itself, even before the sessions began. I was personally very excited about their attendance. They all gave such wonderful insights and clear comments that I was overwhelmed that my anticipation had come true. Each presenter gave very comprehensive and significant reports, heavy in content and very well prepared. The symposium agenda and photographs follow. Also, please note that the comments by the participants are planned to be uploaded on to "the Middle East Islam Research and Education Project Web Site".

Report by Masami Arai (Japanese site) / link to the SOAS website
From the side of TUFS, following students and postdoctorate researchers participated in the symposium.

SHIOYA Momo : Rituals and Social Relations in Java: A Case Study of Gossip and Conflict YANG Ikmo: The Tokugawa Shogunate's Daimyo Kaieki (attainder): Based on the 'Bakufu Nikki' SHINE Toshihiko: Resettlement Programs in Vietnam's Central Highlands: Current Status and Problems MA Jing : Study of Economic Magazines in the Later Stages of the Meiji Era: Using Jitsugyo no Nihon as an Illustration CHU Xuan Giao: Methods of Historical Anthropology and the Field of Japan YOO Jongshin: The Spread of Otogibanashi in Modern Japan: With Focus on Otogi Recitation HSIEH Chia-ling: The Part-Time Labour in Japan: Through the Eyes of a Taiwanese Woman Thu Nandar (read in absentia): The Role of Witnesses in Thet-Kayit Contracts in Early Modern Myanmar SAITO Ayako: The Concept of Citizens and Non-Indigenous Residents under the Ne Win Regime: From the 1982 Burma Citizenship Law and Related Materials

The Proceedings has been published as the series of "TUFS/C-DATS Studies on Asia and Africa".

Report by Prof. Yuriko YOSHIDA (Professor, Faculty of Foreign Studies) On January 28 and 29, 2005, a conference by postgraduate students was held as an event co-sponsored by the 21st Century COE and the Institute of Chinese Studies, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies of Delhi, India. At this event, six doctorate students of Tokyo University of Foreign Studies and four doctorate students of the University of Delhi presented their research reports, and Professor Mushirul Hasan, the leading Indian scholar on research on Islam, gave a special lecture. The detailed agenda for the event as well as a more detailed report is provided in PDF format below.

The conference was held at the University of Delhi on January 28th saw over 40 participants from the University of Delhi, mostly of whom were Japanese study majors. On January 29th, the presentations were held at the Institute of Chinese Studies, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies. Researchers from the institute participated in a lively question and answer session. In particular, Indian researchers who participated in the workshop as discussants gave very apposite comments on the various presentations by the Japanese researchers, making the session extremely fruitful.

In holding the presentations, we were fortunate to receive strong support from Professor Brij Tankha (Liaison Officer) of the Institute of Chinese Studies, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, and Professor Toshie Awaya of the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. All the preparation and administration was handled by the 21st Century COE post-doctorate researchers Yumi Sugawara and Yohichi Takamatsu as well as Professor Yuriko Yoshida of the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies.

Programme / Summary by Yumi Sugawara (Researcher at the 21st Century COE)

The proceedings has been published as "TUFS/C-DATS Studies on Asia and Africa"

Click here for symposium programme (Japanese only).

The relationships between empires and languages have been studied from the viewpoint of oppressor groups-under the framework of "linguistic imperialism"-but not as deeply from the viewpoint of the oppressed groups. In the Third World, as a positive mean to bury the negative past, multi-lingual societies have been constructed historically, and their significance remains today.

The Symposium focused on both linguistic movements and policies, with emphasis on Asia and Africa. As well as invited researchers based in the Third World, the Symposium was attended by 91 specialists who participated in active discussions from the historical, sociolinguistic and cultural anthropological viewpoints.

The Proceedings has been published as "TUFS/C-DATS Studies on Asia and Africa"

The Centre aims to constructively reorganize our University -- which boasts the biggest collection of historical materials in Asian and African languages within Japan -- into a key historical materials hub and centre. It seeks to act as an archival base for promoting information-sending and information-sharing projects. We hope the Centre's multifarious research and archival activities will form the backbone of a new crossdisciplinary research in Afro-Asian Area and Culture Studies, able to meet the challenges of a highly information-oriented twenty-first century.

We are likely to organize a number of conferences and seminars in the coming years. Our vision of the Centre's role in Area Studies research the world over, especially in the Asia-Pacific region, has prompted us to hold our first international conference on the seminal issue of what kind of archive we need to create today. The term 'archive' may sometimes be used for agencies that receive documents from their own governments or corporate bodies. Even so, we use it here just as the Oxford English Dictionary defines it: 'a place in which public records or other important historic documents are kept'.

That we wish to build a non-exploitative repository, we are amply clear about. Even so, we understand that notions of hierarchy and power may be implicit and latent in any such enterprise. We all know these factors were crucial in the emergence of various nineteenth century European repositories. Hence, the word 'Decisions' in the title of our conference. What kinds of administrative and political decisions go into the making of an archive and how are they taken? What types of materials are selected for preservation by any collecting agency? What aspects of life and which segments of society get included or excluded through the materials that any such institution collects? What impact is all this likely to have on the histories that get written? Conversely, how do historiographic trends shape the evolution of an archive? We believe that as we go about our task of building a contemporary repository, we need to take these pertinent questions on board and to debate the relations of power or equity that inevitably accompany any such project.

Prospectus (PDF) / Agenda and Abstract (PDF)

The Proceedings has been published as "TUFS/C-DATS Studies on Asia and Africa"

11th October, 2003 "Hindu Water, Muslim Water": Syncretism, Commensality and Community in Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Century Punjab 18th October Serving the Panth: Sikh Publicists and the Sikh Past, c.1880-1920 1st November A Momentous Marker: the Partition of India Revisited 8th November, 2003 The Tinder and the Spark: the Vexed Historiography of Communalism 15th November, 2003 The Contemporaneous Ascendancy of Religious / Ethnic Nationalisms: Whither Civic Nationalism?

Speaker: Dr. Anil Sethi (COE fellow)

Postgraduate Student Subsidy Programme

FY2006

December 13, 2006
Rm#301, Committee HQ Central Coordination Committee Meeting
1. Final discussion on the International Conference
2. Others

November 1, 2006
Rm#301, Committee HQ Central Coordination Committee Meeting
1. Confirmation of the International Conference date and contents
2. Budget situation
3. Current status of publication project
4. Center's website (Japanese and English versions)
5. Preparations to publicize study results

September 27, 2006
Rm#301, Committee HQ Central Coordination Committee Meeting
1. International Conference in December
2. Liaison office conference in November
3. Financial report

July 19, 2006
Rm#301, Committee HQ Central Coordination Committee Meeting
1. Library matters
2. Publication project
3. International Conference to be held on December 16th and 17th
4. Q3 budget

May 31, 2006
Rm#301, Committee HQ Central Coordination Committee Meeting
1. Overseas project agreement approval
2. Decision on recipients of doctoral student subsidies
3. Publication project
4. Website renewal
5. Plan for Southeast Asian material collection project

April 26, 2006
Rm#301, Committee HQ Central Coordination Committee Meeting
1. FY2005 Achievement Report contents confirmation 2005
(including financial report)
2. FY2006 subsidy program
3. International conference structure
4. Confirmation of Center's advisors
5. Publication project
6. Center's office structure

FY2005

March 29, 2006
Rm#301, Committee HQ Central Coordination Committee Meeting
Matters to be reported:
1. Personnel change and age-limit retirement
2. Contents of next FY's "budget request application"
Matters for discussion:
1. This FY's accounting procedure
2. Next FY's budget
3. International conference / out year external self-evaluation
4. Others (subsidy recipients reporting session, publication project, etc.)
5. Liaison office project
6. Cartographic model of galleria
7. Dilins succession structure

February 25, 2006
Rm#301, Committee HQ Central Coordination Committee Meeting
1. Decision on next FY's PD researcher candidates
2. This FY's budget situation
3. This FY's project achievement report
4. Next FY's budget planning
5. Next FY's project planning

February 5, 2006
Rm#301, Committee HQ Central Coordination Committee Meeting
1. This FY's budget situation
2. Next FY's PD researcher candidates
3. Next FY's international conferencing structure
4. Next FY's budget planning and Center's project schedules
5. Other reports, communication, requests

December 28, 2005
Rm#301, Committee HQ Central Coordination Committee Meeting
1. Q3 budget situation
2. Office procedure
3. Next FY's international conferencing structure
4. Journal / publication project
5. Next FY's PD researcher candidates
6. Opening of graduate school latter-term courses
7. Others

November 16, 2005
Rm#301, Committee HQ Central Coordination Committee Meeting
Matters to be reported:
1. This FY's accounting procedure
2. Office procedure
3. Projects utilizing liaison office
4. Publication project
5. Others
Matters for discussion:
1. Next FY's international conferencing structure
2. Proposal from Dr. Po Dharma of École française d'Extrême-Orient
3. Next FY's PD researcher/ postgraduate latter term subsidy program
4. Next FY's liaison office project

September 28, 2005
Rm#301, Committee HQ Central Coordination Committee Meeting
Matters to be reported and confirmed:
1. Overseas training of librarians (report after returning)
2. Reconfirmation of office and budget procedures
3. Delivery of books and other related matters
Matters for discussion:
1. This FY's budget for up to Q3
2. Liaison office project
3. Next FY's international conferencing structure
4. Overseas project agreement
5. Treatment of postgraduate subsidy recipients who have not submitted their reports
6. English pages on the website
7. Atheneum fellow
8. Others

July 27, 2005
Rm#301, Committee HQ Central Coordination Committee Meeting
1. Approval of agreement with Indonesia's Universitas Hasanuddin
2. Projects utilizing liaison office
3. Out year international conference preparation structure
4. Addition agreement on overseas goods management
5. Publication project
6. Others
a) Overhead expenses
b) Requests from Center for Southeast Asian Studies Kyoto University and the Japan Center for Area Studies
c) English pages on the website

June 29, 2005
Rm#301, Committee HQ Central Coordination Committee Meeting
1. Financial report
2. This FY's Central Coordination Committee budget
(direct and overhead expenses)
3. Purchasing of large-scale collection and microform reader printer
4. Digitalization costs
5. Publication project
6. Overseas training of librarians
7. Liaison office international seminar
8. Website renewal
9. Out year international conference preparation structure
10. Recommendation of atheneum fellows for Center's special admission quota

May 25, 2005
Rm#301, Committee HQ Central Coordination Committee Meeting
Matters to be reported:
1. Budget structure
2. Participation in the Association for Asian Studies annual conference
3. Publication project operation
Matters for discussion:
1. Result of secondary PD researcher public recruitment
2. Postgraduate subsidy (latter term)
3. Others

April 27, 2005
Rm#301, Committee HQ Central Coordination Committee Meeting
1. Previous FY's achievement / financial report
2. This FY's budget situation
3. Recommendation of atheneum fellows for Center's special admission quota
4. Goods management at overseas committee / agreement partner
5. Workshop for young researchers at liaison offices
6. Publication plan
7. Others

FY2004

March 30, 2005
Rm#301, Committee HQ Central Coordination Committee Meeting
Matters to be reported:
1. This FY's budget cutoff
2. Submission of Contents of "next FY's budget request application"related materials
3. Submission of "Revised report after interim assessment"
4. Submission of this FY's achievement report and self-evaluation related materials
5. Website renewal
6. Status of tsunami/earthquake assistance project
7. Southeast Asian document collection project
8. Next FY's publication project
9. Digital library project
Matters for discussion:
1. Approval of young researcher subsidy
2. Approval of secondary PD researcher public recruitment plan and confirmation of hourly fees
3. Recommendation of atheneum fellows for Center's special admission quota
4. Next FY's budget situation
5. Out year international conference
6. 21st Century Area and Culture Studies Group (Ijiri Committee)

March 2, 2005
Rm#301, Committee HQ Central Coordination Committee Meeting
Matters to be reported:
1. This FY's budget situation
2. Joint study group with JCAS
3. Result of postgraduate latter term subsidy recipients reporting session
4. Overseas training of digital library personnel
5. Report on TUFS 21st COE Program General Symposium
Matters for discussion:
1. Next FY's project and budget plans
2. Result of PD researcher interviews
3. Atheneum fellow
4. Postgraduate latter term subsidy
5. Projects utilizing liaison office + The Association for Asian Studies annual conference utilization plan
6. Project partakers' structure
7. Out year international conference
8. Publication project
9. Joint project with JCAS
10. Agreement on joint project with Bombay University Library
11. International conferences scheduled for the next FY
12. "TUFS Oral Archives" plan

January 26, 2005
Rm#301, Committee HQ
Central Coordination Committee Meeting
1. SOAS liaison office
2. Budget processing
3. Public recruitment of PD researchers
4. Delhi liaison office seminar
5. Subsidy recipient reporting session
6. Indonesia emergency project
7. Journal's future editorial policy
8. Publication project
9. Others

December 1, 2004
Rm#301, Committee HQ
Central Coordination Committee Meeting
1. Result of interim assessment and plans
2. Budget situation
3. Establishment of annual plan
4. Next FY's project plan and budgeting
5. Others
6. Related information
- December 3rd (Fri.), from 10:00: "Copyright Study Session" (AA Lab, Seminar Rm. #306)
- December 11th (Sat.), from 13:00: Oral Archive Committee Symposium

October 27, 2004
Rm#301, Committee HQ
Central Coordination Committee Meeting
Matters to be reported:
1. Usage of liaison office (Delhi)
2. Budget situation
3. Indigenous Documents Group digitalization of books
4. Purchase and installation of microform reader printer
5. Publication project
6. Others
- Committee website
Unreported matters:
1. English pages on the website
2. Next FY's publication project
3. Committee member personnel change
Matters for discussion:
1. Renewal of agreement with SOAS
2. Signing of a new agreement with Morocco
September 29, 2004
Rm#301, Committee HQ
Central Coordination Committee Meeting
Matters to be reported:
1. Replacement of clerical worker of the Committee
2. Committee's projects and rights
Matters for discussion:
1. Budget situation
-Surplus and additional allotment
-Future budget plans
2. Magazines purchased by the Committee

July 28, 2004
Rm#301, Committee HQ
Central Coordination Committee Meeting
1. Budget situation
-Outline
-Attendance book management
-Equipment purchase plan
a) Microform reader printer
b) Large-scale collections
2. Other matters
-Publication of the revised brochure
-Joint symposium
-Area Studies Consortium
-Practical use of liaison office

June 16, 2004
Rm#301, Committee HQ
Central Coordination Committee Meeting
Matters to be reported:
1. Plenary meeting and the minutes of proceedings
-Posts of project members
2. Other matters
-Progress report on international meeting project
-Progress report on historical materials joint ownership project
-Studies and equipment for PD researchers
-Requests from Foreign Affairs Research Laboratory
Matters for discussion:
1. Decision on details regarding the digital library
2. Decision on recipients of doctoral student (latter term) subsidy
3. Budget situation
4. Structure of publication project
5. Others
-Practical use of liaison office
-Creation of Centre's brochure
-Website renewal and revision of English pages

June 3, 2004
Foreign Affairs Research Laboratory, 15:00-16:50
Centre's plenary session

April 28, 2004
COE Centre HQ
The 14th Central Coordination Committee Regular Meeting
1. Employment of post-doctorate researchers
2. Committee's plenary sessions
3. Committee HQ's administration
4. Other matters

FY 2003

March 18, 2004
COE Centre HQ
The 13th Central Coordination Committee Regular Meeting
1. The FY's budget
2. Establishment of SOAS Liaison Office and joint usage with Osaka City University
3. Subsidy programme for young researchers
4. Confirmation on budget application form
5. Area Study Consortium
6. Joint symposium with The Language COE
7. Confirmation on activity policies for up to year 2007

February 25, 2004
COE Centre HQ
The 12th Central Coordination Committee Regular Meeting
1. SOAS Liaison Office
2. Area Study Consortium
3. Publication business
4. PR activities
5. Subsidy programmes for fellows and young supporters
6. Budget
7. Other matters

January 28, 2004 COE Centre HQ
The 11th Central Coordination Committee Regular Meeting
1. Documents for mid-term assessments
2. Various projects at the end of FY, budget deadline
3. HQ operations (part-time workers, etc.)
4. HP and PR structure
5. Other matters

January 21, 2004
COE Centre HQ
Central Coordination Committee Extraordinary Meeting
1. Confirmation of documents for mid-term assessments

January 9, 2004
COE Centre HQ
Central Coordination Committee Extraordinary Meeting
1. Budget application form for FY2004

December 24, 2003 COE Centre HQ
The 10th Central Coordination Committee Regular Meeting
1. Treatment of fellows and young supporters
2. This FY's project report
3. This FY's project plan

December 10, 2003 COE Centre HQ
Central Coordination Committee Extraordinary Meeting
1. Treatment of fellows and young supporters

November 26, 2003 COE Centre HQ
The 9th Central Coordination Committee Regular Meeting
1. Matters to be reported:
-Progress report on various projects
-Progress on preparations for December International Conference
2. Subsidy for young researchers
3. Budget management
4. Next FY's projects

October 29, 2003
COE Centre HQ
The 8th Central Coordination Committee Regular Meeting
1. Matters to be reported:
-Central Coordination Committee Secretariat
-Library
2. Payment of remuneration and employment
3. Overseas liaison office projects
4. Publication of research reports
5. Next FY's projects

September 24, 2003
COE Centre HQ
The 7th Central Coordination Committee Regular Meeting
1. Secretariat structure
2. Project report by each Group
-Publication of journal and reports
-Progress on preparations for December International Conference
-Establishment of liaison office
-Status of agreements
-Installment of bookshelves at the Library
-Subsidies

August 27, 2003
COE Centre HQ
The 6th Central Coordination Committee Regular Meeting
1. Details on the management of Central Coordination Committee Meeting
2. Progress on preparations for December International Conference
3. PR structure
4. Actual establishment of the liaison office
5. Terms of office for project leaders
6. Others

July 30, 2003 COE Centre HQ
The 5th Central Coordination Committee Regular Meeting
1. Budget situation:
-Re-allocation of budget
-Overseas expenditure
-Execution status
-Purchase expenses for library materials
-Report publication expenses
-Others
2. Development of various projects following the summer holidays
(International Conference, Afghanistan Restoration Project, etc.)
3. Other Matters
(Foreign fellows, Projects of Central Coordination Committee, etc.)

June 25, 2003
COE Centre HQ
The 4th Central Coordination Committee Regular Meeting
1. Digital library: progress report on the Archive
2. Publication of Journal Issue No.2 and research report publication plan
3. Report on International Conference and National Conference
4. Budgeting
5. Promotion of research activities
6. Liaison office
7. Recommendations on Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Fellowship from the 21st Century COE
8. Other matters

June 11, 2003
COE Centre HQ
Central Coordination Committee Extraordinary Meeting
1. Reduction of daily allowances and lodging expenses for overseas trips
2. International Conference
3. Liaison office
4. Joint International Conference
5. Recommendations on Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Fellowship from the 21st Century COE
6. Budgeting
7. Publication of journals and research reports
8. Committee operations
9. Other matters

May 28, 2003
COE Centre HQ
The 3rd Central Coordination Committee Regular Meeting
1. Decision on recipients of subsidy for young researchers
2. Overseas trips
3. International Conference and establishment of the Liaison Office
4. Decision-making process at Japan Society for the Promotion of Science the 21st Century COE
5. Journal and brochure
6. Budget situation
7. Website
8. Exhibition hearings

May 21, 2003
COE Centre HQ
Central Coordination Committee Extraordinary Meeting
1. Decision on recipients of subsidy for young researchers

April 23, 2003
COE Centre HQ
The 2nd Central Coordination Committee Regular Meeting
1. International Symposium hosted by the Committee

April 16, 2003
COE Centre HQ
FY 2003 The 1st Central Coordination Committee Regular Meeting
1. Restructure of the secretariat and other issues
2. Supporting projects for the Library attached to the COE Centre for Documentation
3. Collection of subsidies
4. Subsidy for the formation of the Centre

FY 2002

March 17, 2003
COE Centre HQ
The 7th Central Coordination Committee Meeting
1. Budget for FY2003

February 19, 2003
COE Centre HQ
The 6th Central Coordination Committee Meeting
1. Execution of FY2003 budget
2. Re-examination of official website and PR structure
3. Publication of journals
4. Liaison office
5. Digital library: archiving project
6. Re-examination of research structure
7. Subsidy for postgraduate students' research projects
8. Plans for the next FY

January 15, 2003
COE Centre HQ
The 5th Central Coordination Committee Meeting
1. Budget situation
2. This year's projects
3. Publications
4. Achievement report on this year's projects

November 26, 2002
Head's office
The 4th Central Coordination Committee Meeting
1. Decision on recipients of PD subsidy
2. Establishment of research programmes
3. Others

November 13, 2002
Head's office
The 3rd Central Coordination Committee Meeting
1. Publication of newsletter, working papers and reports
-Official website
-PR structure
2. Budget situation
3. Activities of each Study Group
4. Selection of COE activity records (activity journal, outline of each study group)
5. General outline of activities planned for the next year (International Conference, exhibition, etc.)
6. Purchase of historical documents, placed orders

November 16, 2002
Head's office
The 2nd Central Coordination Committee Meeting

October 23, 2002
Head's office
The 1st Central Coordination Committee Meeting
1. The final budgeting plan
2. Establishment of the secretariat structure: personnel and staffing, necessary equipment
3. Projects to be promoted during the year
4. Creation of manual with regard to expenses and various procedures
5. HP &PR structure