UC Berkeley Web Feature
The C.V. Starr East Asian Library: Helping to bridge East and West
BERKELEY –The dedication of the new C.V. Starr East Asian Library has prompted the following observations about UC Berkeley scholarship relating to East Asia:
Norman Tien, dean of the Case School of Engineering at Case Western Reserve University and son of former UC Berkeley Chancellor Chang-Lin Tien, said his father was always proud of UC Berkeley's long-standing ties to East Asia. "As a scholar," Tien said, "he would be gratified to know that Berkeley's East Asian collections finally have a permanent home that both elevates and facilitates the exchange of cultures and ideas while broadening our understanding of our world and ourselves."
John Chen, president and CEO of Sybase Inc. and a member of the Committee of 100, said the next generation needs to reflect on history and learn the cultures and arts of other parts of the world to understand the world better and make sound decisions for the future: "This need is even more imperative as East Asia is home to some of the most vibrant economies of the world...and the C.V. Starr East Asian Library...will help serve this need."
"Students at Cal have the potential to be leaders of the country or within their chosen field," said Stanley Wang, president and CEO of Pantronix Corp., who also is a former California State University trustee and a library donor. He said the new facility "will be a resource for these future leaders to understand more about a rising power in the international arena that will certainly impact global issues for many years to come."
Pauline Yu, a scholar of classical Chinese poetry who has used UC Berkeley's East Asian collection for her research, will be participating this week in dedication events for the new library. She said the facility will attract scholars from around the world and be a model for other universities.
"UC Berkeley has provided a stirring example of how the sustained effort of a university's leadership, librarians and faculty can engage philanthropists, foundations and corporations to create a resource of global significance," said Yu, president of the American Council of Learned Societies, former dean of humanities at UCLA's College of Letters & Science and a professor of East Asian languages and cultures.