The National Central Library (NCL) and the University of Tsukuba Library in Japan have collaboratively built Japan's inaugural "Taiwan Academic Digital Resource Center" (TADRC) to enhance Taiwan's digital research resources and highlight research accomplishments in the humanities and social sciences. The two parties finalised the signing and inauguration ceremony at the University of Tsukuba on the morning of June 17. The signing event was jointly hosted by NCL Acting Director-General Dr. Chih-Tsung Weng and Dr. Kazuhiko Kato, Vice President and Director of the Library at the University of Tsukuba. Representative Lee Yi-yang of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan formally offered a floral tribute to bestow his blessings on the academic collaboration between Taiwan and Japan.

Acting Director-General Dr. Weng stated that Tsukuba Science City is a major hub for scientific research in Japan, gathering national-level research centers and higher education institutions such as the University of Tsukuba. As it is widely known that the collaboration between Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and Japanese research institutions is growing increasingly tight, the NCL looks forward to seeing the connections between Taiwan and Japan in the fields of cultural and academic research become even stronger than ever before.

The University of Tsukuba, a collaborator in this initiative, is among Japan's premier comprehensive national universities, demonstrating exceptional proficiency in international collaboration and scholarly research. The university's library anticipates incorporating Taiwan's superior digital research resources, including the NCL-developed Taiwan and Chinese Studies databases and e-book platforms, through the joint TADRC. This project is to create a durable and convenient mutually advantageous model, foster academic interchange, and elevate the international prominence of Taiwan's academic research accomplishments. In the future, the NCL will enhance its array of digital materials, and both sides will collaboratively offer topical lectures to promote meaningful exchanges.

Furthermore, to commemorate this collaboration, the NCL specially presented replicas of two national treasure-level classics from its collection. One is the replica of a national treasure over 800 years old—Annotated Anthology of Mr. Su Dongpo's Poems, and the other is the replica of Diamond Sutra, which is the earliest extant edition featuring two-color overprinting. By gifting these carefully selected classics, the NCL hopes to enrich the collection of the University of Tsukuba. These gifts symbolize this historically significant partnership and open new opportunities for future academic exchanges and friendship.