Local Knowledge

The rapid pace of globalization makes preservation of local knowledge – everything from local dialects and music to knowledge of medicinal plants – all the more urgent.  The goal of the United Board’s Local Knowledge Initiative is to help Asia’s researchers, faculty and librarians make greater use of available digital tools to document, preserve and share disappearing cultural assets, including those related to language, religion, music and art.

The Initiative provides a channel for colleges and universities across the region to share information and resources, gain training and experience in using digital tools, and generate new opportunities for collaboration.  Key first steps in launching this network were taken at the United Board’s May workshop in Hong Kong, Digital Humanities in Asia: Global Technologies and Local Knowledge.  Fifty specialists, representing 37 institutions from ten countries, exchanged their perspectives and experience in creating and using repositories of local knowledge.  Four pilot projects, sponsored by the United Board, vividly illustrated how innovative new tools are opening up exciting new possibilities for Asian researchers and librarians.

The initial focus of the Initiative is on developing the capacity of university libraries to support the collection, preservation and sharing of data and research on local knowledge.

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Resources:
Workshop summary, Digital Humanities in Asia: Global Technologies and Local Knowledge