South Asian research opportunities boosted by British Library and AHRC
04 March 2010
Significant partnership launched by leading research institutions to encourage growth of South Asian studies
Signed today by Chief Executive of the British Library, Dame Lynne Brindley and Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Chief Executive, Rick Rylance, the British Library and AHRC have agreed a framework agreement to enable both parties to work together to identify research priorities in India and the UK and work jointly on projects that support research in this field.
The initiative begins with a planning delegation to India next week to meet representatives from the Government, National Archives and leading academic institutions. The aim of the agreement will be to build stronger bonds between Indian and UK-based research and Higher Education institutions.
A leading research institution in South Asian collections, the British Library aims to transform research in this field by improving access to its South Asian collections and therefore facilitating new subject areas for scholarship. Part of the Library's vision is to digitise a critical mass of original source material that comprises the India Office Records (itself over 14 km of shelving); an array of maps, prints, drawings and photographs, books, serials and newspapers in a range of regional languages, books about South Asia in Western languages and manuscripts and are the fines single resource for Asian studies in the world.
The AHRC has identified India as a country of priority for engagement in order to increase research opportunities in this field, contribute to greater understanding of India and British culture and history and facilitate the study of Indian history in education institutions, aims which the agreement with the British Library is designed to support.
Dr Joanna Newman, British Library, Head of Higher Education said: "This agreement demonstrates the long-term commitment the Library is making to engagement with India and brings to life the unique role the Library can play in increasing access to its world-class collections and support research both nationally, and internationally through forming strategic partnerships with research institutions in the UK and India. Prepared in consultation with academics, archivists and librarians, this strategy identifies the benefits for researchers of opening up access to the Library's South Asian collection through digitisation programmes that will eventually make them fully searchable online and result in new research collaborations and support new subject areas."
AHRC Rick Rylance, Chief Executive said: "This is such an exciting development. Indian and UK researchers have so much to learn from each other and so much history and potential to share. And it is good to be doing this alongside the British Library with their rich collections and expertise. I look forward to some wonderfully impressive results."
Managed by a joint steering committee, both parties will meet on a regular basis to review progress of the agreement and agree on specific future research projects. Both organisations are visiting India next week to meet representatives from the government, National Archives, research funding agencies and leading academic institutions.
Dr Newman continues: "The Library's South Asian collection including maps, prints, drawings, books, photographs and newspaper reports portray a rich tapestry of the history of the sub-continent. They are of huge importance to historians, social scientists, artists and writers and contribute to new areas such as climate change. This agreement with the AHRC will lead to a dramatic transformation of the research capabilities of these collections and provide for integration into global and interdisciplinary research agendas."
For more information:
Miki Lentin
British Library Press Office: +44[0]20 7412 7112
Out of hours: +44[0]20 7412 7150
miki.lentin@bl.uk
AHRC Communications Manager: Jake Gilmore +44[0]117 9876 773 / j.gilmore@ahrc.ac.uk
Notes to Editors
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and one of the world's greatest research libraries. It provides world class information services to the academic, business, research and scientific communities and offers unparalleled access to the world's largest and most comprehensive research collection. The Library's collection has developed over 250 years and exceeds 150 million separate items representing every age of written civilisation. It includes: books, journals, manuscripts, maps, stamps, music, patents, newspapers, photographs and sound recordings in all written and spoken languages. Further information is available on the Library's website at www.bl.uk.
Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC): Each year the AHRC provides approximately £102 million from the Government to support research and postgraduate study in the arts and humanities, from languages and law, archaeology and English literature to design and creative and performing arts. In any one year, the AHRC makes approximately 700 research awards and around 1,350 postgraduate awards. Awards are made after a rigorous peer review process, to ensure that only applications of the highest quality are funded. The quality and range of research supported by this investment of public funds not only provides social and cultural benefits but also contributes to the economic success of the UK. www.ahrc.ac.uk